


sins of a cybernetic empire

by dancingassassin



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, M/M, Slow Burn, Waver Velvet and the terrible no good very bad day, at least eventually, college if you look at it long enough, waver being waver
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-08-13 06:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 35,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7965529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingassassin/pseuds/dancingassassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cyberpunk AU</p><p>Waver Velvet is a college student studying cybernetic implants. He runs his family's media shop when he's not in class and has started experimenting in creating implants of his own design. Life takes a turn for the dangerous and weird after he shows a completed implant to one of his professors. Waver is pulled into a ground of underground technology and mega-corps.</p><p>sins of a cybernetic empire will update when I have time! Life has gotten really busy, but rest assured, I haven't forgotten about this fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Waver Velvet yelped as the implant he was working on sparked at him, electronics fizzling and rendering the whole project useless. He sighed and shoved the damaged goods to the side, glancing around the shop. There was a bit of dust lingering on the shelves – he’d have to take care of that later. Customers didn’t like dust on books or electronics, he guessed he’d been slacking a little bit. He stretched with a sigh and moved to grab a dust rag to start cleaning up.

“ _Perhaps you should have grounded yourself, Waver._ ” His AI’s voice was soft, almost melodious.

“I probably should have, yes, Libby.” Waver ran a hand through his chin length dark hair before shaking his head. It felt a bit silly to be talking to an AI he’d created to help with the shop and his apartment, but, well, sometimes he got a bit lonely. Libra (Libby) was at least good for conversation. At least he thought so. “You could have reminded me as well.”

“ _You’ve instructed me to not interrupt your work, you know._ ”

Waver rolled his eyes, but once again, his little AI was correct.

He’d inherited the media shop from his parents, his mother specifically. A shop that sold books alongside electronics and electronic media was a rarity in the society Waver was in. Electronics and technology were favored, but Waver found something comforting about working around books. He was surrounded by history.

That, and if he needed an obscure reference book, Waver was pretty likely to find it hiding in the shop’s extensive library. That simple fact had been one of the contributing factors to him having a head’s up over some of the other people in his university courses. It wasn’t his fault that the rest of his class didn’t think to look in reference  _ _books__.

Not all information was on the Internet, after all.

He wiped the dust away, having to go up on his tiptoes to reach most of the shelves. Waver was being a tad stubborn about that – he hadn’t accepted that he was done growing height-wise, but he was 20 years old and who grew after their twentieth birthday?

His thoughts were interrupted at the gentle ping of the door opening. He glanced over his shoulder, his ‘customer face’ slipping on. The man coming into the building was enormous – Waver swore he had to be somewhere around 7 feet tall. Granted, his perspective on height was somewhat skewed considering on a ‘tall day’ Waver was only about 5’2”.

“Welcome to the Velvet Media Vault.” Waver smiled as he tucked the dust rag into his back pocket. “Please let me know if you need help locating anything.”

He got a better look at the man now. He was tall, broad in the shoulders, with tanned skin and rusty red hair on both his head and face. While he was clearly part titan, there was no denying that there was an attractiveness to the stranger. Waver might have been intimidated, but the guy’s face was split into a wide, cheerful grin. Robbers didn’t smile like that, right?

“I’ll let you know if I need anything, boy.”

Of course. The man thought he was the kid of the owners, not the actual owner. Wonderful. He felt Libby shift from the apartment and store’s network toward his neural link. It was his only cybernetic enhancement thus far, a very ‘plain Jane’ one. It allowed him to be connected to the internet and data stream at all times, many university students wound up getting them to keep up with their studies.

“ _Perhaps you should ask him how he got so tall so you may also become tall._ ” The words were whispered right into Waver’s mind via his neural link.

Waver had been regretting having installed one of the new AI personality units in Libby. She had become sassy and snarky and teased him all the time. But…the unit had made her a better conversationalist, so he supposed he shouldn’t complain too much. And he couldn’t bring himself to uninstall that personality unit. Libby seemed so  _ _happy__  with it and he didn’t want to take that away from her. Even if he was the one getting bile thrown at him.

But the giant of a man browsed around the shop, only asking a few questions here and there. It seemed he was content to look around. So Waver retreated to his counter, pulling out another project to work on. He urged Libby back into the store’s network so he wouldn’t look nuts if he started asking her questions.

This one was one of his pet projects, though if he was honest with himself, most of his projects were like that. But this one Waver was especially proud of; he’d been working on it for the better part of a year. The process had been incredibly delicate and he was hoping to show it to one of his professors when he went to class later. There were plenty of cybernetic implants on the market that enhanced speed and strength, some that augmented particular muscles, some more advanced versions of his neural link. But this one? Waver had designed it to increase reaction speed. It had taken awhile to figure out the proper signal to have the cybernetic implant latch on to – yet another moment that he’d been grateful for the media shop’s cache of weird books.

“Libby, mind looking up ‘cybernetic implant reflex enhancement’ for me?” Could he do it on his own? Yes. Was he a bit too preoccupied with handling the implant to do so? Yes. Had he done this search every week for a year just to be sure someone else wasn’t taking his idea? Absolutely.

“ _I will look it up for you, though I doubt that the status has changed since you searched last week._ ”

There was a slight, deep snicker from the other man in the shop and Waver felt his cheeks flame. Sure, it was paranoid, but he would rather be overly cautious and make sure no one else had ripped off his idea.  He wanted this to be  _ _his__  claim to fame.

“Thanks Libby.” There was a bit of snark mixing in his tone and he didn’t care.

He glanced to the clock – he had half an hour until he had to be in class, so he’d have to shut the shop down in the next fifteen minutes to be sure he had enough travel time. Even when he booked it, Waver still needed about fifteen minutes. He blamed his short legs.

He toyed with everything for a few more moments before carefully packing the implant into a static-free box and cushioning it with static-free foam. He knew moving it to the university was a bit of a risk, but Waver wanted a bit of feedback on it. He couldn’t tweak it and perfect it without feedback from someone more knowledgeable in the field. He’d risk the small chance of damage for valuable input on what he could be doing better.

Plus, hearing praise would give him a bit of a confidence boost.

“ _As expected, there are still no search results for ‘cybernetic implant reflex enhancement’.” Libby’s soft voice came from the speaker above his head. “Waver, you have about twenty minutes until you are due in class._ ”

Waver nodded to himself, the slightest of smiles twitching against his lips. “Thanks Libby.”

His eyes settled onto the stranger in his shop – the man was looking at a few of the CDs that his parents had displayed in the store. He didn’t seem particularly interested in buying anything, which Waver didn’t find all that odd. There were some oddities in the store; he had a few gawkers come through each day. He didn’t mind too much, at least when they were like this guy. He was quiet enough, only chuckling from time to time. But he was keeping to himself and that was all that Waver could really ask for, that meant he could get some work done. But for now, he needed the giant to clear out.

He approached slowly, swallowing dryly as he glanced up at the much taller man. “Excuse me, sir. But I have class in twenty minutes and need to close up the shop for the afternoon.”

The redhead grinned down at him. “Well, I can’t be interrupting someone’s education. Thanks for letting me hang around in here. Real neat place, boy.”

Once again, the word ‘boy’ stabbed straight into Waver’s fragile ego.

“Not a problem, sir. I hope to see you in here again.” He watched the giant retreat from the shop, his customer smile intact until the door closed tightly. It slowly morphed into a scowl as he sighed. “I am  _ _not__  a child.”

“ _Yes, you are clearly the epitome of an adult as you sulk about being called ‘boy’._ ”

“I’m having a perfectly acceptable response to being called a child when I’m twenty years old.” Waver huffed.

“ _Clearly._ ”

The noise he made was nothing short of indignant as he skulked behind the counter to grab his leather bag. Waver checked it over twice before nodding to himself. Yes, he had everything he needed for his class, including extra pens in case one of his just stopped working.

“Alright, Libby. Lock up everything then pop over into my implant.” Waver grabbed everything up and walked out the door.

He latched the physical lock and waited for the comforting hum of the security system engaging. It only took a few extra moments for that sound to resonate through the door. Waver sighed in relief, eyes closing as he felt Libby flit into his neural implant.

He started toward the university, eyes lingering along the buildings jutting up toward the sky. It was a bit odd to be living in such a business oriented area, but there were a few things he really liked about it. There was no shortage of parts for the implants that he worked on, he could find just about anything he needed in terms of technology. There weren’t many other people living in the area, so Waver didn’t get interrupted when he was working on homework, he supposed that was nice. Lonely, but nice. He wasn’t the only smaller shop in the area, but they were the minority.

Thankfully, Waver had a stranglehold on the media and book front, so his business was still profitable even with the big names around.

The skyscrapers tapered off to apartment buildings and smaller shops. It was still the city, very much so, but it was more lived in. There were people milling around, businessmen calling out about their products, about the deals they had. A cursory glance over to a few revealed a few shoddily put together implants – ones that would degrade within the human body. They’d work for a bit of time, but the person would have to get a new one within a few months. Mass produced crap. A look in the other direction revealed a few teenagers grouped together with their tablets out, playing some sort of mobile game. It was loud and busy and quite crowded. He supposed a better word was alive.

He ducked under the arm of a salesman who was flailing the newest product from Gate Incorporated. Waver wasn’t interested in the least, but that wasn’t going to stop the businessman from trying to make a sale. He supposed he couldn’t fault him for that. But he was on a tight timeline at the moment, getting caught in a sales pitch would make him let for Professor Archibald’s class.

And if he was late, he wouldn’t be allowed in. Professor Archibald  _ _locked the door__  when he started class. If you couldn’t be on time, you obviously didn’t care about his class enough. It was a harsh rule, but Waver could see why he had it in place.

“Libby, how much longer?” He whispered the words while he moved. Despite it being perfectly normal to converse with the AI in his neural link, he was quite self-conscious about it.

“ _You have five minutes and twenty seven seconds until Professor Kayneth Archibald’s class begins. I would recommend that you start running._ ”

He swore under his breath and broke into a run. He refused to be late to this class. Absolutely refused. He could feel his breath coming in sharp, short pants as he ducked under the arms of another salesman and finally breached onto the campus’ property. He started sprinting across the yard, ignoring that there were indignant yells from other students and from a few professors who were wandering about. Stairs were taken two at a time despite the shortness of his legs and he internally cursed whoever had decided that this class should take place in a third floor lecture hall in the building with the steepest stairs.

Waver careened around the corner, eyes going wide when he saw his professor in the hall, getting ready to close and lock the door. He darted past him, whispered an apology, and slumped down in a seat toward the back of the room. Professor Archibald glared at him as he stalked up to the lectern to begin the lecture.

But he’d made it and that was all Waver could ask for. He pulled out his notebook and waited for Professor Archibald to begin. He could feel sweat trickling down his spine, gross. That was going to be distracting.

But he was just glad he wasn’t going to miss his favorite class.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did a double update this week so I can get to the meat of the story faster. I'll do this from time to time, but it's not a guaranteed thing!  
> ~Dansu

It took the better part of the lecture for Waver to fully catch his breath and to stop sweating so profusely. Feeling so gross had been distracting and had kept him from asking questions for much of it, but now that he was cooled down some, he was itching to ask questions and debate on the materials. There was a reason that Professor Archibald’s class was one of his favorites, well, several reasons. The first reason was the topic – advanced cybernetics. The second reason was that Archibald had the tendency to present his opinion as fact – which meant that there was a lot of very heated debate going on.

Currently, one of his classmates was going up against Archibald. The poor sap wasn’t doing particularly well. He had no intention of intervening, sometimes it was nice to watch someone flounder through their defense.

“ _I believe the word for that is schadenfreude_.”

He bit back a laugh at that. Yes, he supposed Libby was right about that. That would be the correct word.

“Now that Mr. Williamson has finished his piece, is there anyone who would like to attempt to refute what I’ve presented in class?” There was an arrogant edge in Professor Archibald’s voice, it was almost always there.

Waver raised his hand. Today’s class had been right in his wheelhouse – proper placement of implants to ensure that they had the desired effect. It was something he had researched extensively, especially as there was no material on implants that improved reflexes. He had to figure out where he would need to place the implant to actually achieve what he wanted to do.

“Yes, Mr. Velvet.” Professor Archibald nodded his head in Waver’s direction.

“Thank you, sir.” He looked through the notes he had taken during the lecture, only for a moment though, then pulled out his own notes. “I agree that the industry standard works in many cases of implants – they’re standards for a reason.” There was something oddly exhilarating about presenting his information like this, about presenting _his_ research. “However, there are cases where the standard locations do not work, where you need to study the human body.”

“That much is obvious, Mr. Velvet, get to your point.” The omnipresent arrogance amplified, an almost taunting tone in his voice.

Waver swallowed dryly and nodded. “You need to understand the nervous system. You need to know what nerves affect certain areas so you can manipulate them.” The state of the current implant system was more along the lines of understanding what part of the body you wanted manipulated. If you wanted to run faster, the logical steps were to implant either at the quadriceps muscles, the base of the spine, or at the neck – depending on the degree of speed and quality of the implant. “By directly manipulating the nerve, you can both increase the efficacy of the implant and offer a more targeted implant.”

Silence washed through the room, which wasn’t exactly what Waver had been expecting. There were points that he expected, you know, subtle applause, or murmurs of assent. Silence was disconcerting. It implied shock – either that his findings were so audacious that they were completely unbelievable or that they thought he was an idiot. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, but he stood as tall as he could, chin angled up slightly.

“ _Your findings are scientifically sound, Waver. These people might not be ready to hear it though_.”

He supposed that was a fair point as well. He didn’t think it was that big of a leap in logic – the already existing system skimmed the surface of what he’d researched. The problem was the lack of specificity in the implants. Without knowing the underlying structure – the nervous system – the whole industry risked wasted time and development. It also didn’t allow for much improvisation past what the industry already had in place. How could they develop new types of implants when they were using a system that had defined points where implants went?

“And where did you find information on this, Mr. Velvet?” There was a hint of derision in his professor’s voice. “As far as I know, there _isn’t_ information on those topics.”

The implication was not lost on Waver. It was an accusation of making up the theory to sound smart in class. Other students had done that. It hadn’t gone over well. He could feel something swelling in his chest, eyes narrowing slightly.

“ _Stay calm. If you lose your control, do you think he’ll listen to you?_ ”

Again, Libby was right. Waver exhaled and nodded. “I conducted my own research and experimentation, sir. I did extensive reading on the nervous system and what nerves control which reflexes…”

He’d only just started breaking into the test implantation process. He didn’t exactly have a pool of people to choose from, so he’d been using himself. It skewed the results. Especially since he was only doing _temporary_ implantations, surface ones. Waver wasn’t bold enough to cut himself open and implant something that increased his reflexes. It just seemed like a bad life choice.

“You’ve been conducting experimentation?” It wasn’t the professor who spoke, but another of the students. She sounded impressed. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

Waver tilted his head to the side, face twisting. “Well, I’ve been careful about the type of implantation. I’ve only used surface implantation as I wanted them to be temporary. I’m not opposed to implantation, but I’d rather the implant go through proper quality control before I permanently put it in my body.”

Professor Archibald held his hands up, hushing the class with ease. “While this conversation is interesting, we are out of time for the day. Mr. Velvet, stay after. We need to have a discussion.”

Another wave of whispers flooded the room and Waver felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. Usually people were asked to stay after when they’d done something wrong, when they’d overstepped, or if they were doing poorly. His mind shifted through the most recent test scores and homework assignment grades – there was no way he was failing the class. He knew his grade in the class was high.

He must have overstepped.

Waver watched the people filtering out of the lecture hall. A few of the students gave him sympathetic looks, or even pitying ones. Waver packed up his belongings, being careful to not jostle the implant around too much. He still wanted to show Professor Archibald the prototype design, but if he was in trouble…well…now he wasn’t sure he wanted to do that.

Now probably wasn’t the right time.

Soon enough, all the other students had left. Waver took slow steps closer to Professor Archibald’s lectern, the few feet seeming more like a death march than anything else. But he held his head high up and tried to keep his expression pleasant rather than nervous and frightened. He wasn’t sure he was entirely successful in that department.

“Mr. Velvet, take a seat.” Professor Archibald motioned to the closest desks.

Waver did as he was told, hands fidgeting with his bag. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment before looking up at his professor. The height difference between him being seated and his professor standing only cemented in his mind that this was something disciplinary related.

“You enjoy my class, correct?” The tone was disarming, smooth and relaxed, but still with that haughty air.

“Y…yes, of course. Your class is my favorite, actually.” Waver kicked himself internally for stuttering. He didn’t want to show how nervous he was!

“ _You’re aware that this could be a good meeting, right?_ ”

It had occurred to him, but Waver was far more focused on a negative outcome. He’d only ever seen students held after class for bad reasons, students who had done well were usually praised in front of the class.

“You’ve been sailing through it, from the look of your test scores and homework grades.” Professor Archibald turned to face him, expression thoughtful. “I suppose that would make sense if you’re doing extra research on your own.”

Waver felt his cheeks flush at the slight praise before he stared down at the desk to hide that pinkness.

“It…it’s what I want to do with my life, so I do research on my own.” Waver sounded so timid, which irked him even more.

“Well reasoned.” Archibald nodded. “Your statement in class is one that has been _theorized_ before, but hasn’t been explored. The industry likes to use the tried and true methods.” Another contemplative look. “I have to wonder _why_ you were looking beyond. Any implant type we’re covering in class would function with the conventional method.”

“ _See? I told you that the reason wasn’t negative_.”

Waver blinked as he took in the words. Professor Archibald wanted to know why he was researching outside of the course material. He guessed that made sense – if a student was presenting information outside of the confines of the course, the professor should take it into his hands to find out why the student possesses that information. He opened his bag and removed the static free box before setting it on the desk between them.

“I’ve been working on an implant that increases reflexes.” Waver spoke clearly, though there was a tremble there. Presenting his long term project, one that he was so proud of because of the hours he’d poured into it, was nerve-wracking. More so than he’d anticipated. “The conventional methods for implantation sites do not work for that type of implant…so I started researching to figure out what _could_ work. Well, at least after searching for the underlying reasons as to why we use the sites we do…”

He started unpacking the box, motions deliberate and measured. He tapped the metal portion of the grounded desk to discharge any static from himself. He kept the implant in half of the foam, setting it on the desk. Only once the implant was removed from the box did he look up to his professor.

“Interesting. So you’re working on a project deemed impossible by most people in the field.” Professor Archibald chuckled slightly before glancing at the implant. “May I?”

Waver opened his mouth to refute that it was _impossible_ to accomplish that type of implant, but snapped it shut a second later. His eyes tracked across his professor’s arms – finally seeing that he was wearing an anti-static wristband. “Go ahead.”

He could feel his heart pounding through his whole body, he swore he could _see_ how hard his heart was beating. It seemed like each beat was making his shirt flutter forward.

“An interesting design, Mr. Velvet.”

The way the words were said left Waver with the feeling that ‘interesting’ wasn’t exactly praise. “Considering the area it would need to be, I figured this was the best shape…”

“I meant in general.” Archibald sighed and examined the implant closer. “The design shows promise, I can imagine that most implants you make are fine…but as this one is so targeted and advanced…”

Waver’s shoulders slumped at the words – promise meant that at this point in time, the implant wasn’t acceptable. That it wasn’t good enough. Still, he gritted his teeth and attempted to smile. He needed to be polite – Professor Archibald was giving him feedback on something outside of classwork. It wasn’t like he had to do that, he was going out of his way.

“O…oh…I thought…” Despite his best efforts, he still sounded upset when he finally spoke.

“You have a good start here, have you tested this one yet?”

Good start wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear – especially since he’d already poured so much time and effort into it!

“No…I haven’t. I’m…I’m not really keen on implanting a cybernetic like this on my own.” Waver swallowed dryly. “Seems foolish…”

“Hm.” The implant was set down into the foam with care, though not as much care as Waver would have used. “I’m unsure if it would do what you want it to…but you’re onto something, it just needs refining. It lacks the finesse that something of this caliber requires.” Professor Archibald paused, a smile that looked far more like a smirk playing on his lips. “For now, stick to the curriculum. You need to understand the basics more before you go off and try to change an industry.”

The words weren’t particularly harsh and Waver supposed he could understand the truth in them. His foundation needed to be strong before he started building on it or everything would crumble. That didn’t mean he wasn’t sour and hurting after having his hard work shot down.

“Alright…thanks for your time, Professor Archibald.”

Before his face showed how upset he was, Waver was walking out of the lecture hall. He’d really thought he was onto something, that he’d made some sort of breakthrough. All the research he’d been doing backed up his hypothesis and his minor experimentation in alternate implantation sites did as well. And he’d been using the structure that Professor Archibald had been teaching them; he found it to be the stable option and as this was a particularly delicate area, he wanted the stability.

“ _You have made a breakthrough, Waver._ ”

He blinked when Libby spoke, his face softening slightly. “…thanks Libby…still, he’s right. I should focus on the basics for a bit. Maybe I’m not ready for game changing designs yet.”

Usually, Waver would head to the university’s library for a bit of research and homework time, but today he just wanted to go home. The meeting with Professor Archibald had his ego aching and the only cure he had in mind was going home and sulking with a book. And maybe having some chocolate.

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded to himself before shouldering his bag. No reason to linger around, it was best to go home. He’d embarrassed himself enough for one day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part 2 of the double update!  
> ~Dansu

The sun was sinking down behind the buildings and Waver couldn’t help but shiver a little. There was a chill hanging in the air; the seasons were just starting to change. Waver wasn’t particularly looking forward to the colder weather – he was so small that it was hard for him to stay warm.

“ _Perhaps if you wore more than a thin sweater you wouldn’t feel so cold, Waver_.”

Waver snorted at that and rolled his eyes. “Libby, I’m dressed warm enough for the weather. It’s just unexpectedly chilly.”

Or maybe he was just a little oversensitive in general. His professor’s words were hanging over him like a storm cloud. Waver had tried to logic everything out – that the critique wasn’t all that harsh, that his professor was entitled to an opinion – but nothing really made him feel better. Nothing that Libby was helping, nor were his own thoughts.

His shoulders were hunched as he walked down the crowded street. He dodged people selling wares more of instinct than anything else – Waver wasn’t exactly paying attention to what was going on. He was caught in his thoughts and trying to figure out where his implant had gone wrong. Once again, nothing came to mind. He supposed he was too close to everything to appropriately evaluate anything. Too close to both the criticism _and_ building the implant.

He sighed and continued on his way, squeaking as pain washed across his face and upper body. He’d walked into something. Waver’s hands lifted to shove away from whatever he’d walked into – his mind barely processing that thing he’d walked into was warm and while it was solid, it was also slightly yielding. What he did manage to grasp was that he was falling to the ground. Waver’s rear end hit the ground hard enough that he was certain he was going to have a bruise. His eyes were closed tightly and he knew his cheeks were flaming red at this point.

He was _so_ done with today, first he gets told he lacks finesse and then he falls on his arse in front of everyone on the street.

“Are you alright?” The voice that interrupted his thoughts was deep, tinged with amusement, but still managing to sound concerned.

Waver’s eyes snapped open and tracked upwards. Oh no. _Oh no_. Not only had he fallen on his butt in public, but he’d quite literally run into someone else. He could feel his cheeks starting to burn more and more and he was certain that he had to be rivaling a beet. And not only that – but the person he’d run into was the giant from the shop earlier! No wonder he’d wound up on the ground.

“ _Waver, he asked a question, those generally require an answer._ ”

And once again, Libby was correct. “Uh…yeah…I’m ok…”

Waver pushed to his feet, wincing as he did. The pain radiating across his tailbone and rear end only cemented that he was going to have some very embarrassing bruising.

“That was quite the fall. Are you sure you’re okay?”

He nodded, a bit too embarrassed to actually respond for a moment. Waver hadn’t really paid too much attention to the man when he’d come into the shop – just enough to notice his hair color and general size. After all, Waver had been working on cybernetics and getting ready for his class. Now that he was up close and personal, he was noticing many things – things that would usually put him on edge. Today though? Today the details just intrigued him. Like the bit of durable black plastic that was snaking from just behind the man’s ear down onto part of the neck. It was an implant, that much he could tell without any thought whatsoever. And the man’s clothing – sturdy clothing, made for travel and practicality. Something about it screamed runner, a mercenary. His instincts told him that he should stay away from them, that it was a bad idea to get tangled in that kind of business…

“ _Again, questions require answers, Waver_.”

Waver shook his thoughts away and offered a shaky smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a bit of bruised pride.” _And a bruised tailbone._

“Why don’t I treat you to dinner since I knocked you over, hm? How’s that sound, boy?”

Maybe it was because of the question before Waver was called ‘boy’, but this time it didn’t bother him so much. He could feel his cheeks blushing darker than before, though he wasn’t entirely sure how that was possible. This wasn’t something he was used to. People didn’t just ask out Waver Velvet. He was short and bookish and looked like he was approximately 15 years old. He shouldn’t be so quick to assume it was a date either, maybe the guy just felt bad for probably breaking some random tiny person’s ass.

“ _Do I have to remind you again that questions require…_ ”

Yes, he already knew. But he didn’t snark back at Libby this time. After all, he didn’t want to seem like he was out of his mind. Well, more than he already seemed. He wouldn’t blame this guy if he thought he was a few screws short of a hardware store. He’d been gaping and unable to say much more than a few stammered sentences during their encounter thus far.

There was part of him that just wanted to go home and hide under a rock because of everything, but there was another portion that was very much interested in going out. Partially as a balm to soothe his busted ego and mainly because the man asking him was _very_ attractive.

“That sounds nice…though…” He shuffled slightly, cheeks still far pinker than he would like. “I don’t even know your name.”

The man tilted his head back and laughed – a sound that was loud as thunder but without the associated fear. “I suppose that’s right. You can call me Rider, what’s your name?”

Oh good, maybe he wouldn’t be called ‘boy’ the whole time.

“My name’s Waver…and I’d like that dinner, Rider.”

He had a strong inkling that Rider was not the man’s _real_ name. But he supposed that didn’t really matter anyway. It wasn’t like some runner mercenary guy was just going to give his real name to some random stranger who looked like a teenager.

Soon enough, he was being whisked off to a restaurant by Rider. There were a few whispers following them along the street – mainly about Rider’s height and build. As well as comments about the nice looking young _woman_ walking next to him. Waver was less than amused by that. His ego might be aching more, but well, he was pretty pleased to be going out to dinner with someone. He still wasn’t sure if it was a date, but no matter what it was, it was a boost to his confidence.

The restaurant was small – a place with pub food. Waver couldn’t help but smile a bit at that, everyone loved pub food, right? The interior was cozy and inviting, like any good pub should be. There was music playing, some sort of Irish tune. What stood out to him was how low-tech everything seemed at first glance. Most things were wooden or covered with wood panels, which was strange enough. The modern clubs were strongly favoring shiny metals and glass and sleek designs. With a more calculating eye, he could see the advanced cameras, the fancy beer taps; the high tech point of service station. Yet all of that was masterfully hidden unless you were looking for it. Waver found that impressive.

“Never been to this one…” Waver mumbled as they took a table in the corner. Menus were dropped off by a cheerful waitress and they were left to their own devices.

“I like this one. Big portions, good prices, and beer fit for a king.” Rider grinned as he glanced over the menu. His face shifted for a moment and he hummed. “And I’m paying for this, I invited you out.”

Waver had been about to open his mouth and say that he could pay for his own meal, but that was shut down now. The flush was back on his cheeks and he’d only just gotten his face back to what he assumed was a normal color. “Alright…thanks, Rider.”

“ _Your internal temperature is rising again, Waver._ ”

The comment from Libby only made Waver blush harder. The whole situation was certainly feeling more date-like now.

Orders were taken and Waver shifted a little as he chewed on his lip. He wasn’t entirely sure what they should talk about, after all, they had completely different walks of life…or at least he was assuming they did. He supposed it was foolish to make assumptions like that.

“So, you’re the one who runs that media shop in the industry sector, right?” Rider had a wide grin on his face, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Neat little shop, you’ve got a fine library in there.”

Waver couldn’t help it; he knew his face lit up. “Yeah, that’s my shop. I inherited it from my parents. I love the books in there, they’re a great resource. It’s a shame that no one believes in printed media these days.”

He could understand the mentality to a point. Printed media was easy to lose, easy to steal, easily damaged. There were a lot of negatives to it. But in his mind, reading material from a book was something that technology just hadn’t been able to replicate. Tablets just didn’t measure up to books. And the fact was, if someone was skilled enough, having digital media didn’t keep you safe from theft or any other malicious things. Nothing was really safe in this day and age.

“There’s something nice about reading information from a book rather than a tablet.” Rider nodded his agreement before taking a large swig of beer – one so dark that light wasn’t passing through it. “They don’t make tablets for hands as large as mine either. Tablets are just awkward…”

Waver sipped at his soda, cheeks getting pink again. He had been tempted to order beer, but his tolerance was somewhere around the level of ‘high-schooler’ and he didn’t feel like having to stumble his way home. Though he certainly could use a drink after that meeting with Professor Archibald…

Silence lapsed between them as food was laid out before them. It was quite the spread and Waver found himself almost comforted at the sight of the heavy pub food. He smiled as he started in on the fish and chips he’d ordered, his whole demeanor relaxing with each bite.

“Say…what were you working on when I was in the shop?” Rider tilted his head. “The thing that blew up.”

He’d managed to forget about that, somehow. Perhaps it was the rush of having to run to class, or the disappointment following his meeting, or the fact that this was a possibly-date. But Waver had completely forgotten about the implant that had blown up in his face.

“Oh…I’m going to university for a degree in cybernetic sciences. I was working on structure and forgot to properly ground myself…and uh…boom.” He rubbed the back of his head, expression sheepish.

“Cybernetic sciences, eh?” Rider nodded in approval. “Good field to get into, booming really. Plenty of jobs there.”

That was part of the reason Waver had looked into the career. Having job prospects for when he graduated was important. But he really just liked the science in general. The idea of pushing the human form to do more than it was capable of naturally, to refine things, to add _finesse_.

“And it’s one I can do _while_ continuing my work at the media shop.” He planned on designing and selling to big companies. That way he could still run his family’s business. That was important to him.

“An excellent point, boy!” Rider’s full face grin was back, nearly as bright as the sun. “Yours was the only shop like that I saw in this city.”

Waver smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’d like to say we conquered the other businesses, but really…there weren’t any others in the business. So we’re top by only that virtue…”

“That’s still a form of conquering, boy.” Rider snickered as he gestured with his hands. “The fact that no other businesses have popped up means that you have a hold on the market. Well done.”

Waver laughed at that, his smile getting brighter and brighter. He liked this, this going out with someone business. It was relaxing, though he wasn’t sure how comfortable he’d be with someone else. There was something about Rider that dropped his guard, maybe it was that smile. He ordered a beer when the waitress came back – which was greeted with a boisterous cheer from Rider. He was going to enjoy this


	4. Chapter 4

All too soon, dinner was done and Waver needed to head home. Part of him wanted to stay out later with Rider, to continue this night of fun, but he had to open the shop the next morning. That meant he needed to get an adequate amount of sleep and if he went out and kept having fun, he couldn’t guarantee that he was going to be able to wake up in time. So he had bid a good night to Rider who had grinned widely and asserted that yes, he would continue to have a good night. He’d told Waver to be safe on the walk home, that at this time of night there were weirdos out and about. Then the man had been lumbering off further into the entertainment district.

It had been a fun night.

But all night’s came to an end. Waver tucked his hands into his pocket, his whole body warm and feeling heavy from the alcohol he’d imbibed. He hadn’t had all that much, not when he was well aware of his terrible tolerance. He had enjoyed being out with someone, it had been a nice change of pace over the frenetic pace he was going at all the time to try and balance his studies and running the store. And really, it had been a much needed boost to his ego. It might not have been a date, but Rider had wanted to spend time with him.

And to Waver, that meant something.

“ _Perhaps if you enjoyed his company, you should see him again_.” Libby had seemed amused through the whole event, though she had kept quiet once they were at the pub proper.

“A fair point…but I don’t think a runner like him is going to be hanging around the city too long…” Waver sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Can’t imagine there’s too many jobs here for them.”

“ _Doesn’t hurt to try, right?_ ”

She always managed to refute his arguments, it was an endless source of frustration, but this time Waver appreciated it. He could only smile and keep walking toward his home. And he supposed it was silly of him to assume that there wouldn’t be jobs – with the amount of companies in the city there would be plentiful work no matter what your trade happened to be.

But even with all the good that had happened while he’d been out, his mind was starting to drift back toward cybernetics and his conversation with Professor Archibald. Maybe it was the alcohol permeating through his mind, but the whole thing just felt  _ _worse__  now.

Again, he knew he was far too close to the critique to actually process it properly, but Waver kept trying to. Because the more he thought about it, the less sense the critique made, at least parts of it. He could understand that he might be lacking in finesse, but for Professor Archibald to comment on the structure when Waver had been using one that the professor was teaching in classes, well, it just seemed  _ _weird__.

“ _It is best to not focus on that right now, Waver. You’re hyper-focusing._ ”

Waver sighed and nodded to himself. He was almost back to the shop now, the familiar buildings almost offering a sense of comfort. It seemed a little strange to find comfort amongst industrial buildings, but Waver had grown up in this area. His family had owned the media shop and lived above it for as long as Waver remembered. He knew that there had been concern from other families about a child being brought up in such an industrial area – concerns about the dangers that could be hiding around every corner. But everywhere in the city had dangers and somehow it just felt safer here.

He stopped at the door of his shop, exhaling and closing his eyes for a moment. It had been a long day. He’d worked, he’d gone to class, and he’d gone out drinking with a stranger. That was more interaction than he did most days and he could feel the drain. Waver tapped in a code and then whispered a password that was keyed to his voice. There was a mechanical whir followed by the distinct click of a lock opening. He pushed the door open and stepped in – he immediately turned around and locked the door behind him. He was in for the night, might as well save a few steps.

The shop was exactly as he’d left it, not that he expected it to be any different. It felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders as he entered the building, another long sigh leaving him.

“Alright Libby, back into the building’s system.” He set his bag down on the counter before taking out the anti-static box and setting it to the side. He wasn’t going to work on his implant tonight – that was just asking for more self-loathing.

Waver felt Libby shift back into the store’s network. It was such a strange sensation – he swore there were times he could almost feel the electrical current, even though he knew that wasn’t how it worked.

“ _ _S_ hall I set your alarm for tomorrow, Waver? It’s rather late already…_”

“Yes, please set my alarm for tomorrow, thank you.” He straightened up a little before stretching. “I think I may do a bit of reading upstairs before I fall asleep.”

Waver glanced at the clock, 11pm. His shoulders drooped slightly. He had to be up before 8am if he had any hopes of getting the shop open by 9am. He had classes at noon and 2pm, so he’d be running around campus during those times. The only saving grace was that he didn’t have his evening class with Professor Archibald. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face that classroom again.

“ _That seems like a very reasonable way to wind down after today. Shall I tally today’s profits from the shop?_ ”

“Yes, thank you, Libby. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

Waver trudged up the stairs, head hanging a bit more with each step. A good night of sleep would fix his mood, he was certain of it. He was just overtired, that’s why he was focusing on the critique too much. And he’d had alcohol, that couldn’t be helping matters – though he didn’t regret going out in the least. He just regretted the side effect of his thoughts centering on what Professor Archibald had said.

He unlocked the door to the apartment portion with an inputted code and another whispered voice password. He waited patiently for the door to unlock and then pushed in. Waver loved the apartment – it wasn’t all that big, but he lived on his own. It wasn’t like he  _ _needed__  an incredible amount of space. He just needed enough space for his books and equipment and he guessed a bed and some other things. He just liked how lived in it looked. The few times he’d gone and visited classmates in their homes, he’d been a bit disturbed by how sterile and clinical the apartments had been. They didn’t look like anyone lived there and the apartments completely lacked personality. It had been really off-putting and it had thrown Waver off-balance. It had also kept him from letting people come and study at  _ _his__  place.

Some of the tension in his shoulders dissipated as he walked further into his apartment. He exhaled and nodded his head slightly – it was good to be home. Waver could relax here. He grabbed a book from one of his shelves, not even bothering to check which one it was. It didn’t matter. He liked them all and at this point he just wanted to lose himself in a story so he could forget certain parts of the day.

Waver went through his bedtime rituals – changing into a pair of comfortable pajamas and brushing his teeth and making sure his hair wasn’t in a huge amount of disarray. If he let it be too messy at bedtime, it was unruly and untamable in the morning and he knew he wasn’t going to have time for that tomorrow. He slumped into bed with another long sigh. Sometimes he thought he was working himself too hard – running the media shop  _ _and__  attending university full time. But that’s what he had to do. That’s how life was going to be for the foreseeable future. He’d just have to endure.

Waver settled in and started reading, his eyes getting heavier and heavier. Eventually the book fell from his hands, bouncing off the bed to the floor.

“ _Sleep well, Waver._ ”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Waver jolted from his sleep a few hours later, his pulse racing in his temples. There was a dull ache in his neck from falling asleep while reading, but that wasn’t why he’d woken up. No, the pain was more like an afterthought. He sat up further and glanced around the room, something didn’t feel right. But he couldn’t place what it was.

Part of him wanted to ask Libby what was going on, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to keep quiet, that he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. That line of thoughts only made Waver feel more nervous – because the building’s alarm hadn’t sounded. That meant if someone had broken in, they knew what they were doing. That they’d been able to disable the multiple layers of security Waver had in place.

No. Those weren’t the thoughts he should be focusing on.

“Libby…? What’s going on?” He whispered before tapping his temple to indicate that she should switch to his neural link. Waver wanted her voice to be inside his head, her voice carried. He just wanted to be cautious.

“ _Nothing that I am aware. I can scan the system quickly _.__ ”

_Nothing that she was aware of…_  That didn’t sit well with Waver, but he was just going to ignore the feeling that was sitting heavy in his gut.

“You do that; I’ll check the physical portion. Maybe I had a nightmare…”

But Waver couldn’t remember the last time that he’d had a nightmare, or more importantly, the last time he’d jolted awake in a panic. He shifted his focus to what he needed to do. He needed to get up and check the system. Then he would be able to go get back to sleep.

He slowly got out of bed, his mind still slightly foggy because of the hour and the fact that he’d been sleeping despite the adrenaline pounding through his system. Everything seemed as quiet as it should, though instead of calming him down, it only served to make him feel more nervous.

Waver exhaled and knelt down to check the portion of the system that was in his room. Best to do this quickly. He squinted in the darkness, trying to get a feel for whatever was going on with the system. But it was too dark, he couldn’t read any of the numbers or settings on his box.

“Libby…please turn the lights on to low.” He was still keeping his voice soft. If there was nothing wrong, he’d explain it away that he was keeping things down so he didn’t wake himself up further. Really, it was because he was paranoid and more than a little frightened.

His AI gave no verbal response, merely brought the lights up slowly and left them at the dimmest setting. With how used Waver’s eyes were to darkness at the moment, he didn’t need much more light than that. He shifted a little closer, still squinting to read everything properly. He was muttering under his breath about the settings looking right, that nothing had been triggered while he was sleeping. Everything seemed to be fine, at least in the physical settings.

Waver sighed and brought up the thermal view of the apartment by tapping a few buttons. When he’d installed that feature, it had felt excessive, but now it felt like just the right amount of caution. He stifled a yawn with one of his hands and glanced through the readouts. The thermal view was sensitive and only updated once every hour. It was a piece of technology that he wanted to upgrade but hadn’t gotten around to yet. But the readouts were looking normal – or as normal as they could considered heat lingered on the readout images for some time. He shrugged to himself and dismissed whatever had woken him up so abruptly.

“Must have been a nightmare…” He muttered. “Libby, everything looking okay?”

He waited a moment for Libby to respond. His brows knitted together when she didn’t respond. The panic that had just been dissipating started building again, faster this time, like rapidly rising flood waters. Waver bit his lower lip to keep from saying anything for a moment. He knew there was a time delay with things like this – Libby had a lot of information to parse through. And even though she was an AI that took time. He just needed to be patient. But waiting didn’t make the feeling that was twisting his gut go away, not in the least.

A thump outside his room nearly had Waver jumping out of his skin. Somehow, he managed to stay quiet, but he wasn’t sure how. He closed his eyes for a moment and started holding his breath.

Footsteps. He could hear footsteps. They were light, careful, like they were trying to be sneaky and unheard. Like they were trying to keep whoever was in the apartment from waking up. Waver kept holding his breath, his teeth digging into his lower lip. Maybe this was just his mind playing terrible tricks on him, maybe this was just in his head. Maybe he was still asleep.

The footsteps stopped just outside his door.

Waver’s eyes went wide. “Libby. Lights out.” He whispered urgently. The lights went out immediately. So Libby was responding and okay, that was good. That he was grateful for. However, the sudden darkness left Waver partially blind.

A loud crash snapped Waver back to reality. Reflexively, he ducked down and was thankful for that when he heard a piece of  _ _something__  crash into the wall. It only took him a moment to realize that it was a piece of his door. He kept tucked behind his bed, knowing that he was small enough to be completely hidden from someone who was by the door.

The footsteps started again, slightly muffled by the carpet in Waver’s bedroom. There was someone in his room. Someone had gotten in. Someone had gotten into his apartment and they hadn’t triggered his security alarms. Waver needed to get out, though he wasn’t sure how he would manage that… He was tempted to go  _ _under__  the bed, but that wasn’t going to do any good. He knew that.

His thoughts were interrupted by a ping on his neural implant. The codename was shifted, that much was clear, and in a symbol text that was difficult to read. Waver bit his lower lip and opened the message as he started crawling under the bed. He knew it wasn’t the smartest of choices, but he wasn’t sure what other options he had at the moment. His hopes were that he could wait until whoever was in here was on the other side of the bed so he could make a run for it.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] i’m here to help you get out of this

The words flashed across his vision and Waver felt his brows furrow even further. He wasn’t sure how someone would help him escape from his own bedroom when there was already someone in there. That just seemed  _ _ridiculous__. Impossible even. He slid under the bed without much issue, for once glad that he was small. Waver kept his eyes on the person’s feet, watching them move through his room. Just a few minutes. Just a few minutes and he could try and make his escape. But…even that slim chance that whoever was contacting him could help…

He had to take it, right?

[LondonStar] i’m not sure how you’re going to help me, but if you can get me out of this…i’m all ears

But a message didn’t pop up. Waver’s eyes darted back to the intruder’s feet, watching them move further away from the door. He had to take his chance, he had to get out of here. He started inching along under the bed, almost holding his breath as he did so. Once the feet were fully on the other side of the bed and creeping toward his closet, Waver crept to the gap, his eyes immediately focusing on the open door. It was a straight shot, it was simple. He could do this even if he wasn’t exactly gifted in terms of athletics.

There was only a moment of hesitation as he squeaked out from underneath the bed. Waver stumbled as he got to his feet before taking off into a run. He cursed under his breath – the fact that he’d faltered meant that the intruder would be alerted to his presence. He didn’t have much time to get to the front door and Waver wasn’t particularly fast. His motions were clumsy because of adrenaline and his breaths were coming in sharp, panicked breaths. He chanced a look over his shoulder and felt his heart stop beating for a split second.

The intruder was coming after him. Quickly at that. Waver couldn’t make out many details about them, other than the intruder was likely male and much bigger than him and presumably fit.

His thoughts were interrupted as he tripped over the armchair in the living room. Waver gasped as his body got air, everything seeming to go in slow motion for what felt like several long minutes though he knew it was only seconds. His back slammed against the ground, the wind hissing from his lungs. He struggled to his knees and crawled along the floor, he might as well use his small stature for something  _ _good__.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] you need to stay calm, don’t bother with the front door. window is going to be your best bet.

Waver had his back pressed against the couch, eyes closed tightly. He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do other than  _ _get out__  and he wasn’t sure he was physically capable of outrunning the person who had broken into his apartment.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] move. you need to move or he’s going to catch you.

The text flashing across his field of vision jolted him into action. Right. Movement. Very important. Waver tried to keep his frightened, panicked gasps quiet as he scrambled along the ground toward the window. He wasn’t entirely sure how this was going to work, he lived on the second floor of the building, but if it was his best bet, he was going to try and make it work. He could hear the intruder’s steps, but he wasn’t sure of their location. To him, that meant he just had to keep pushing toward the window.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] doing good kid. once you’re to the window, i’ll give you more instructions

Waver could see the moon shining through the window, he was so close. He could practically taste the outside air at this point…!

“There you are.”

He froze in his tracks and turned to look over his shoulder. The intruder was looming over him, his features illuminated by the moonlight, but still heavily shadowed. Waver could make out fair skin with an obvious birthmark on his face and brown hair, but the stark lighting just made him look skull-like. He whimpered and scrabbled further back, but there was the sinking knowledge that he was not going to get away from this.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] you stopped moving kid, get to the window

[LondonStar] that’s going to be a bit difficult now…


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for all the comments~
> 
> For those curious, there are 31 chapters (total) planned, though that number may change as I go. Sometimes scenes get added and sometimes chapters wind up being combined.
> 
> And for clarification...
> 
> [η@℘ґ℮ƴ] is not Rider. I know that had confused someone, so I thought I should clarify!
> 
> Thank you again ^_^

[η@℘ґ℮ƴ] what do you mean it’s going to be difficult now?

Waver backed further into the corner, his breath caught in his throat. Because of his positioning, he couldn’t get to the door. Or the window. Or anything. He was trapped, completely and utterly so. The intruder took a few steps closer, his eyes locking on Waver.

He wasn’t sure how to explain his current situation – but he wasn’t able to take a picture of what was going on. Waver hadn’t opted for that particular part of the neural implant, mainly because it had been experimental at the time and way out of his price range.

[LondonStar] i’m backed into a corner. i can’t get out

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] alright kid, keep calm, i’ll try to find some way out

_Keep calm? How the hell am I supposed to keep calm??_ Waver closed his eyes, tears that he didn’t want to shed starting to snake down his cheeks. He couldn’t think of any reason that someone would break into his home, what someone would want from him. He was a college kid, it wasn’t like he had much money. And if a burglar was _smart_ , they’d realize that the best loot was down in the store. Which meant…he was probably going to die…

“…p…please…” His voice cracked as he stared up at the moonlit intruder. “pl…please, just let me go! I…I don’t have anything worthwhile…just…”

Why was he even trying to plead with the man in his apartment? If it was a robbery, why come upstairs into the apartment instead of just taking all the nice things from the shop?

“Get up.” The man’s voice was firm, but he didn’t sound _malicious_.

Waver wasn’t going to get his hopes up, though. It wasn’t like his luck was particularly good and today had been extremes in terms of good and bad. It would be just like his luck to have an almost-date and then have someone break into his apartment and kill him.

He shook his head and backed further into the corner. “N…no. Please just let me go, don’t kill me…” He ducked his head down to hide the tears on his cheeks and closed his eyes tightly. He didn’t understand why this was happening…

“I can’t let you go.” Again, he didn’t sound like he meant to do Waver harm, he just sounded like he wanted to be done with whatever this was, especially since it probably wasn’t going as planned.

Waver lifted his face again, his eyes drifting toward the window. It was so close to him, but he knew if he tried to run, the guy would grab him. And he didn’t want to be grabbed. He just wanted to get _away_.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] best bet is still that window, if you can get to it. if not, i’ll work something out

“Please…don’t kill me…” He was inching closer to the window even though his muscles were rigid from fear. It might be cowardly, but he wasn’t going to sit there and let himself be killed. Waver had to try and get away.

“I’m not here to kill you.” The intruder took a step closer, the moonlight revealing more of his appearance. A tight fitting set of tactical gear with armor placed in vulnerable areas and two weapons – a strange, thin, club-like weapon that had gold glowing circuitry running along the length and a standard energy pistol holstered on his hip.

Waver wasn’t sure if that was standard gear for a mission like this or if he was heavily armed, but his stomach tightened and nausea boiled either way. Even if this man wasn’t here to kill him – and that was assuming Waver _believed him_ when he spoke, which he didn’t – he wasn’t there for anything good. So he was going to be wary no matter what.

He kept shifting closer to the window, trying to keep eye contact with whoever the intruder was while he scooted his butt along. He could feel his limbs shaking terribly and the tears were still coursing down his cheeks. He couldn’t help it. But the man took a step to the side, effectively blocking Waver from his goal.

“Just come quietly and there won’t be problems.” Again, his voice was firm. But the implication was hanging in the air – if he didn’t come quietly, the intruder was going to be forced to subdue Waver. And Waver had the distinct feeling that ‘subduing’ was going to hurt. A lot.

No, no he couldn’t just sit here and do _nothing_. Waver took a deep breath, scrambled to his feet, and started trying to run again. He was running _away_ from the window and the man. If he could make enough space, if he could get the man following him…maybe he could get to the window and get the hell away.

“ _Be careful, Waver! He’s armed…and…_ ”

His AI’s voice was distracting, but her concern was appreciated nonetheless. The intruder _was_ armed and Waver had the distinct feeling that this wasn’t exactly ‘coming quietly’. And if he wasn’t cooperating…well…those weapons might start being used.

Waver jumped over the sofa, stumbling on his landing. He started into another run, bolting toward the window as quickly as possible. But lightning flashed across his vision and his legs gave out from underneath him. He crumpled to the ground as his muscles all tensed to the point of pain. It took a moment for his eyes to start working again, but when they did, Waver found that the intruder was standing above him, the club weapon buzzing with electricity. _A stun baton? No…that’s way too simple of an answer…_

“I didn’t want to hurt you, you forced my hand.” There was regret in his voice, but an edge there. One that told Waver that the man could and would resort to force again.

Waver didn’t want to feel that pain again. His muscles were still in spasm from the excess electricity, alternating between twitching and shaking. He tried to move, but he couldn’t find any strength in his limbs. They felt heavy, like they were made of lead or cement or something equally as dense.

“ _Waver…I’m trying to send a message out to law enforcement, but I can’t dial out. I’m continuing to attempt._ ” There was a hint of panic in Libby’s voice, so strange coming from an AI. While it usually would have made him more afraid, hearing someone else be nervous about the situation was almost comforting in a weird way. It meant he wasn’t overreacting for once.

But there was something concerning about that, about his AI being unable to call out. That meant someone or something was blocking her, either a malicious AI or a hacker of some sort.

He didn’t dare respond to her – after all, he would have to actually speak. And right now he wasn’t sure his vocal cords worked, he was certain they were paralyzed from fear. And Waver didn’t want to alert his intruder to the fact that he was communicating with his AI. Somehow he felt that would merely exacerbate the situation.

“Now are you going to come with me quietly?” The club weapon was twirled in what seemed to be a nonchalant way, but it came off as threatening to Waver.

He tried to open his mouth to speak and all that came out was a strange, almost strangled hiss. Waver closed his eyes and tried to hold back the overwhelming fear that was washing over him – not only was this man about to take him somewhere to god knows what, but his voice was refusing to work. He wouldn’t be able to call for help. He was _helpless_.

Despite that fear, he nodded. He would go quietly, if only so he wouldn’t be hurt again.

“Good. Get up.”

Waver tried to shove to his feet, his muscles shaking violently before he face-planted onto the carpet. He felt more than a little pathetic. He couldn’t make his body work, there was too much residual pain lingering in his limbs and muscles and they were still so tense. He tried again though, trying his hardest to muster some of his meager strength. But once again, he wound up with a face full of carpet.

The man sighed and squatted down to grab Waver around the waist. Waver tried to yelp as he was lifted, but that awful hissing sound was all that left him. It was embarrassing. He was tucked under the man’s arm like he was some sort of bag, like he weighed absolutely nothing. He wanted to fight, to kick and scream, to try and get away, but he was too afraid of more pain and more importantly, he was basically unable to move at this point.

Waver was being carried out of his apartment by a strange man and no one would know what happened because he couldn’t call for help – because Libby was being blocked by something. He could feel tears on his cheeks and nausea creeping into his stomach.

“ _Waver, I will continue to try and reach authorities._ ”

He was grateful for that. Maybe once they were out of the apartment and shop she would be able to connect with someone. There was part of him that doubted that, his luck just wasn’t that good. But he was hoping.

They were only just down into the shop when something on the intruder pinged loudly. The man sighed in exasperation and tightened his grip around Waver’s waist as he grabbed at a device on his other hip.

“Yeah?” There was irritation in the man’s voice as he answered what Waver assumed was call.

“Do you have him, Diarmuid?” The voice that came from the other side of the device was crackly, distorted. But Waver could hear it clearly enough to understand what was being said.

“Yes, I have him. I’m about to get him to the car.” The intruder – presumably Diarmuid – sighed.

“Be quick. That group is trying to interfere. If he’s troublesome, you know what to do.”

Diarmuid’s body tensed, Waver noting the grip on him tightening further yet. “Understood. I’ll be as quick as possible, sir. Diarmuid out.”

But Waver noticed more was the tingling and pain in his limbs was finally starting to fade away. Moving wasn’t hurting as much and he could breathe far easier now than even a few minutes earlier. Even though he wasn’t in as much pain, he stayed very still in Diarmuid’s grip.

Without another word, the device was shoved back into whatever pocket it had been in to start with and they were moving again. It crossed Waver’s mind to try and trigger the alarm in the shop, but if Libby was being blocked, he had the sinking feeling that whatever was doing that would be able to stop the alarm from going off. Or at least from reaching the authorities. Soon enough, they were outside of the building.

“…lock the door and reengage the security system.” Diarmuid jostled Waver slightly, moving him into a position where he could fiddle with the panel next to the door.

“…o…okay.” Waver’s voice was tight and gritty. His hands were moving slowly, twitching every few seconds, but they were moving. He didn’t like the idea of setting the security to look like nothing had happened, but he did it anyway. If only so he was viewed as being compliant. “…it’s done.”

And again, they were moving. Waver could see a car waiting – one that was nicer than he would have anticipated for kidnappers. Despite the niceness, it was a relatively non-descript vehicle. One that blended in. That was frustrating. He hoped that Libby looked up the make and model without Waver’s prompting.

_Wait…am I really going to just let him put me in that car…?_ Waver frowned as he was carried along, his brows knitting together as he mulled things over. He knew that Diarmuid wasn’t going to kill him and he knew how the club weapon felt now; maybe he’d be able to resist it a second time. He couldn’t just sit back and let himself be taken. He had to at least _try_ one more time.

Soon enough, Diarmuid was setting Waver down on the ground as he worked on unlocking the vehicle. Waver’s legs were still weak and wobbly, but they were functioning. They had enough strength in them that he’d be able to make an attempt, he was sure of it. He waited a split second as he steeled his nerves before bolting away from the car.

“Libby, look up the make and model of the vehicle and keep trying to contact authorities.” He whispered under his breath, his voice terse and strained.

“ _Got it._ ”

Waver started breaking into a sprint, his breath already heavier than it should be. There was a bubble of hope expanding in his chest that popped the instant he felt a hand grab onto his wrist tight enough to bruise. He yelped as he was dragged back, his shoulder nearly wrenching out of socket. He struggled against Diarmuid’s grip, shoving at him with his free hand. He wasn’t strong, but he knew there were weak spots on the human body, if he managed to hit one of those, he’d be able to get free!

“…of course you decide to be difficult…” Diarmuid sighed as he dodged shots from Waver like there were merely annoying rather than a threat. “I’m sorry that I have to do this. I was hoping you’d be cooperative.” He was reaching for something and Waver really didn’t want to find out what it was.

But something like this had to draw attention, Waver knew that. Even if it was the middle of the night, there were always people out and about in the city. Someone was bound to see what was going on. And if no one was coming to his aid…they either weren’t around or they saw and just didn’t care. He whimpered as he tried to dodge Diarmuid’s other arm. He gasped when there was a sharp pain in his upper arm that was followed by the feeling of sedation floating through his limbs. _Oh no_ …

Waver scanned the surrounding area with eyes that were rapidly becoming to heavy to keep open. For an instant he thought he saw Rider, concern and something akin to irritation etched on his face. He reached toward him, eyes starting to close, limbs feeling more like stones that dragged to the bottom of the ocean.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] we’ll find a way to get you out of this, kid. that much i can promise

The words flashed across Waver’s vision just before he lost his battle with the sedative coursing through his system. He wanted to stay awake, but he couldn’t. His vision greyed out and he felt himself slumping over.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning - NaNoWriMo is starting in about six hours, so I will apologize if things are a little slower during November. I don't foresee there being any issues, though! 
> 
> Happy Halloween~

It felt like he was sinking to the bottom of the ocean, his limbs made of lead and his eyelids made of concrete. Waver didn’t want to move and he was having trouble dragging his eyes open. As he became more aware of his body, as he surfaced back to reality, pain settled into his limbs and whole being. When he managed to open his eyes, they felt dry, like he’d been sleeping with his eyes open. He wanted to keep evaluating his body, but something more important hit him like a gunshot.

He wasn’t at home.

Waver exhaled as he tried to push to a sitting position, his muscles protesting the slight movement. So he stayed on his back. The room was white, blindingly so. He was certain that even with the lights off it would be just a little too bright for him to actually fall asleep. There weren’t windows, the only connection to the outside world was a heavy, metal door. It was the type of door that was built to withstand bombs. The word ‘cell’ wafted into his mind uninvited and he tried to shove it away.

But what was certain was that he was trapped. And alone.

“ _You’re not alone, Waver. I’m still here._ ”

The panic that had been edging into his body and winding him as tight as a bowstring released just a little. That’s right. He had made sure Libby transferred to his neural implant before everything had gone terribly wrong. It had mainly been a precaution, he’d wanted to keep her reports to himself and keep himself hidden from the intruder. But now he was just grateful to not be alone.

“I’m glad of that, Libby.” He whispered.

His eyes darted to the corners – he couldn’t see anything that looked like a camera, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t being watched. Camera technology had come a long way, one could easily be camouflaged in the horrid white walls. Waver would have to be careful with what he said out loud on the off chance that there _were_ cameras in the room.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke very softly. “…how long has it been since I was at home?”

“ _About fourteen hours. The sedative they gave you was potent_.”

Waver groaned and buried his face behind his arm. So the shop wasn’t open, he was going to miss his classes, and he was stuck in some weird, white prison cell. He really had the worst luck. On top of it, his body was still feeling heavy and stagnant. Even if there was an emergency, Waver wasn’t sure he’d be able to run as he was now.

He jolted when he heard something electronic start moving – a pained hiss leaving him as he tried to sit up much too fast. Waver’s eyes settled on the door, it wasn’t open yet, but that was the only part of the room that would logically be making sounds like that. _Unless they’re feeding some sort of chemical through a vent_. He shook the morbid thoughts away as he watched the door intently. There was a series of clicks and clunks, sounds that made Waver think there were multiple layers of locks on the door containing him in this room. It wasn’t a comforting thought, but knowledge was power and right now he needed to feel powerful. Otherwise he just felt helpless and frightened.

“…that seems like an excessive amount of locks…” He muttered and shook his head. It wasn’t like Waver was much of a threat. He was tiny and physically weak.

“ _I would agree. I can’t get much of a read on whoever is opening it. I can’t do much of anything, actually._ ”

That shook Waver more than he wanted to admit, but he just had to accept it. _So they’re still blocking Libby_. He didn’t want to think on _why_ they were still blocking his AI.

It took a good five minutes, but eventually the door was opening with a whine and a groan followed by the grating of metal on metal. The small hairs on the back of Waver’s neck stood on end as he sat. His hands were gripping the scratchy sheets that were on the cot and he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. The door moved at the speed of molasses in winter, barely creeping open an inch at a time.

Slowly, the opening door revealed two people. Both were a good deal taller than Waver, that much he could tell while he was still sitting and looked to be decently muscular. One of them had a distinct air of power and Waver could only assume that he was the one in charge. His hair was short and golden and almost seemed to be artfully messy, his eyes were crimson, the smirk on his face bordered on smug. He was well dressed in a fine, fitted suit, yet Waver had the distinct feeling that he was dangerous and he couldn’t shake it. The other man was taller yet, with short, dark brown hair and grey eyes that were so deep that they seemed like they were black. He was dressed far more practically – and Waver’s mind supplied ‘runner, mercenary, dangerous’.

Waver couldn’t comprehend why people like _that_ would want anything to do with someone like _him_. After all, he was merely a student.

“It is good to see you awake, Waver Velvet.” The blonde’s voice had a haughty tone to it, but was also welcoming. “I apologize for your rough handling; it was not my intention for you to be sedated.”

His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms tight over his chest. He was apologizing for the rough handling, but not for the fact that he’d essentially kidnapped Waver. Everything about what was going on was putting him more and more on edge. All he wanted was to go home and do his homework, maybe have the shop open for a few hours. But one thing was certain: Waver was not going to be accepting that particular apology.

“Who are you and why am I here?” There was a pinched tone in Waver’s voice that he wished wasn’t there, but he couldn’t help it. He was stressed, frightened. And sometimes his voice still broke and cracked into that squeaky tone that pubescent boys tended to have.

“My name is Gilgamesh Babil and this is my associate, Kotomine Kirei. I am the owner and creator of Gate Incorporated.” The smirk only grew more pronounced as he continued speaking. “And you are here because your professor, Kayneth Archibald, reported that you had been working on a particular implant…”

It felt like Waver’s heart stopped beating altogether. Gate Incorporated. One of the biggest names in cybernetic technology, a company that had their fingers in so many pies that Waver didn’t actually _know_ everything that they were involved with. There were so many conflicted thoughts rushing through his mind – Professor Archibald had said that Waver’s work lacked finesse but then had told Gate Incorporated about the type of implant he was working on. Professor Archibald was somehow allied with Gate Incorporated, which just felt _weird_ in Waver’s mind. Mass-produced cybernetics were dangerous, in a way. Not everyone was built the same way and it was foolish to expect a generic implant to work properly all the time, especially with more specialized implants like what Waver had been working on.

“ _Breathe Waver, you have forgotten to for several seconds now_.” Libby’s voice was back to being smooth and in control.

Waver took in a big, gulping breath as he stared at Gilgamesh. They were interested in his work. There was part of him that wanted to be flattered, but there was so much wrong with the situation that he couldn’t even manage that. And there was that nagging thought that a mass-produced reflex enhancement implant would be a recipe for disaster. Because that’s what Gate Incorporated would want to do, they would want to mass produce Waver’s work. And that wasn’t what Waver wanted for his work, that wasn’t what he believed in.

“…but…he had said…” Waver tried to bring his mind back and away from his thoughts. He couldn’t get too stuck in those right now. He cleared his throat and tried to swallow his nerves. “Professor Archibald said that my work lacked finesse and wasn’t ready for…well…anything.”

Gilgamesh laughed – it was an unpleasant sound that somehow made Waver feel more nervous than he already was. “Well, sometimes white lies are needed…”

Again, there were alarm bells were going off in his mind. Gilgamesh was making it seem like Professor Archibald had been hoping to _surprise_ Waver with the knowledge that Gate Incorporated was interested in his work. Which, yes, he was surprised, but most kidnapping victims were a bit shocked when they get taken from their comfortable apartment and dragged to a waiting vehicle. _Why even go with a kidnapping? Why not just make an offer on the technology?_

He fidgeted as he sat before the two of them, barely able to bring his eyes up to make eye contact. “Why did you take me from my home…? There are far more conventional ways of going about this kind of thing.”

There was that laugh again and a snort from Kirei. “Well, Waver Velvet, those more conventional options give the illusion of _choice_.”

“Excuse me?” Waver’s voice cracked. Panic was making his throat clench uncomfortably.

“Now now…we’re offering you a deal too good to refuse, aren’t we Kirei.” Gilgamesh leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he took in Waver’s appearance.

“Indeed. It would be foolish to deny an offer such as this.” Kirei’s voice was smooth and deep, but there was nothing comforting about it. In fact, it put Waver more on edge.

“Then tell me the deal.” Waver still didn’t like the phrasing they were using, or the back pedaling, or anything about the situation. It all made him nervous.

“ _I don’t like their phrasing either. Be wary._ ”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Gilgamesh smirked down at him. “We’re interested in your implant. The market would go rabid for something like that.”

Waver was well aware of that. But the market wasn’t _ready_ for something like this. It wouldn’t be safe, people would be hurt. And above all, Waver wasn’t entirely sure that it would be possible to make an implant of this caliber be able to be ready to implant in _anyone_. Everyone had different reflexes, everyone’s biology was different. It would be smartest to calibrate each implant individually. It would be more expensive for the user, but it would also be far _safer_.

“…but…this isn’t anywhere _near_ ready for the market.” Waver tried to speak as evenly as possible, but it was difficult when he was both afraid and getting a bit irked. “I haven’t done any test implantations, the nature of the implant makes test implantations _difficult_ …” He was rambling, he knew he was, but he’d started and now he wasn’t able to stop.

“Well, what made those tests so difficult, hm?” Gilgamesh had the smuggest look on his face and despite being small and lacking upper body strength, Waver wanted to punch him.

The urge mainly came from the fact that Waver was being led into a certain answer. Because they both knew why the tests were so difficult. Because Waver was working on his own, because he lacked the funding that an organization Gate Incorporated could bring him, because he was too young to really get the footing he needed in business negotiations.

“…because I’m working on my own, lack funding, and lack willing, consenting subjects.” Waver added the last part on because he refused to let people who didn’t understand what they were getting into test the product. He wasn’t like that – that wasn’t how he wanted to do business. He wanted to do business honestly.

“Well…Gate Incorporated can fix all three of those problems.” Gilgamesh’s tone was almost innocent, but there was an edge there that almost felt like poison. “We’re willing to give you a team to work with, the funds, and test subjects. And then you’d be getting royalties from it as well.”

It would be an excellent way to make money, Waver knew that. But it went against everything he had wanted to do in business.

“ _I do not blame you for not wanting to take their offer, Waver. As good as it is, my research tells me that they have ulterior motives in contracts like this_.”

Waver hadn’t done any research on them, but he wasn’t exactly surprised that Libby was finding results like that. It just seemed to fit with the whole culture of mega-corps.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to consider contracts for something that I’m still in the process of developing…” Waver wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to turn them down, or if he really could. There was something in the back of his mind that was telling him that this was a really, really terrible idea.

“Oh, I wouldn’t expect you to make a decision right off the bat, Waver Velvet.” Gilgamesh laughed and shook his head. He straightened up and tilted his head to the side. “We were going to give you some time to consider the offer.”

“That’s appreciated, after all, this is a big decision.” Waver stood up, his limbs shaking from a combination of the effort and the lingering sedation from the drug he’d been given. “But I’d like to mull things over at home.”

He was only standing because he wanted to see how everyone reacted. Waver knew he wasn’t capable of walking himself home at this point, not with how week he felt. But he wanted to learn more about his situation – and seeing how they responded to something as simple as him standing up would reveal a lot.

Kirei shifted toward the door and while his posture was still casual and calm, something about it felt different. He almost seemed ready, what he was ready for, Waver couldn’t say. But that’s the impression he got. And Gilgamesh, well, his face had shifted toward resembling a storm cloud for a moment or two before settling back into that smirk. His arms were no longer crossed over his chest, which gave Waver the impression that he was ready as well.

The reactions didn’t leave a good taste in his mouth.

“Now now…you’re shaking like a leaf, it would be impolite and cruel of us to make you go home in that state. Stay here, rest up and regain your strength.” Gilgamesh’s tone was back to being light, but his eyes were slightly narrowed and his smirk was a bit sharper. “We’ll be back soon for your response, Waver.”

Waver was still on his feet as he watched Gilgamesh and Kirei leave the room. There was a moment where he could see what was beyond the heavy, steel door and he felt his flight response kick into overdrive. But he was too fatigued to try right now. And the door was slamming shut not even two seconds later, the multiple locks clicking and hissing into place.

“…well shit…” Waver sighed as he slumped back onto the cot that was in the room. He didn’t want to say or even think it, but he was trapped. And he didn’t know how he was supposed to get out of this situation.

“ _I’m working on a way out of this, Waver._ ”

As much as he trusted his AI, he wasn’t entirely sure how she would be able to fix it either.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] you should take their offer, kid

Waver’s eyes went wide as the message popped in front of his vision. That’s right, the person had said they were going to try and find a way to get him out of this. But again, how was anyone supposed to get him out of this?

[LondonStar] excuse me?

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] think of it as espionage. you get to find out how they work while you work on development for your implant. meanwhile, we find a way to get you away from gate

_We. There’s a we._ Waver had been under the impression that there was just one person trying to help him – but there was a _we_. That made a bit more sense in terms of Waver actually being rescued from the situation. What he didn’t get was why he had to wait, why couldn’t whoever this group was come and get him now?

[LondonStar] feels pretty dishonest to accept their offer and then have another group come and get me out of the situation

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] well, what do you think is gonna happen when you refuse them? think they’re going to let you go home?

Waver wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that – because honestly – he didn’t think they were going to let him go home no matter what. They were going to keep him in this cell until he broke down and went with their offer because he was broken down.

[LondonStar] that’s a fair point, but i promised myself i wouldn’t be working with companies like gate incorporated. their policies on mass producing implants are gross.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] like i said, i can get you out of gate, but it’s going to take time. might as well figure out how they work, right?

That sounded suspiciously like ‘I want to figure out how Gate Incorporated works on the inside’. But Waver knew that the person had a point. It would be smarter to try and gain information rather than rotting away in a cell. It just made him sick to his stomach to even think about accepting their offer.

[LondonStar] and as much as i hate to admit it, this is a great opportunity to work with professional grade materials and tools

It wasn’t that Waver had _bad_ tools and materials, but he did have to be frugal. He had to worry about rent, tuition, food, _and_ keeping the shop going. Once he graduated, he’d be able to focus more on the implants, but until then he had to balance everything.

“ _I am unable to get a trace on the person who has been messaging you, that is likely very deliberate on their part. However, it would be wasteful for you to sit in this room doing nothing_.”

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] look. i’m not going to force you to do anything, but i can tell you i’d be bored sitting around doing nothing.

[LondonStar] i’m not thrilled about this – i really don’t want to say yes to them, but you’re right. this is a really great opportunity to learn how they work.

As long as there was that nebulous promise of someone getting him out of this situation, Waver figured that he could deal with just about anything. It wasn’t how he had imagined his career in cybernetics going, but he didn’t really feel like he had much of a choice either.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] alright kid, we’re working on it. keep your chin up.

Waver slumped back against the bed and closed his eyes. He wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to process all of his. His mind was a shattered mirror and he couldn’t fathom how he was supposed to put everything together again.

“ _Sleep for now, Waver. We’ll figure everything out after you rest._ ”

He didn’t think he’d be getting much sleep in a place like this, but he had to at least make an attempt. Waver mumbled a thank you to Libby before rolling to his side and tucking his face under the pillow. He didn’t care of this was immature behavior, it seemed better than actually facing the day. Soon enough, he felt the bone deep exhaustion through his whole body and was finally able to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey all, sorry this is a day late. blame NaNoWriMo and the fact that I've been in various states of transit since Friday!

Waver wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been alone, much less how long he’d been asleep. But he woke to the sound of the metal door grating open again. He groaned and held the pillow tighter over his head and instinctively closed his eyes despite the fact that he was certain the room had been brightly lit the entire time he’d been asleep.

“Waver, we’d like to speak with you.” It was Gilgamesh’s voice again, his tone was still smooth and smug. “You’re awake, yes?”

He grumbled and debated _not_ answering. But putting things off wouldn’t change the fact that he was basically in a prison cell with a heavy metal door and painfully boring white walls. Waver shifted the pillow off of his face and squinted at the bright, fluorescent lighting. He sat up and tried to take inventory of how his body felt, but with someone else in the room that just felt too awkward.

“Yeah…I’m awake.”

The only point he could discern about his physical health was that it was better than it had been when he was last awake. His limbs didn’t quite feel like they were made of jelly. He’d take that little improvement, though.

“Very good. You’ve been asleep for quite some time.” Gilgamesh’s voice almost sounded concerned. Almost. There was just enough arrogance there that Waver didn’t believe it for a second. “We were hoping to show you around Gate’s facilities today.”

He wanted to outright say ‘no’ to being shown Gate’s facilities. But he needed to, at the very least, pretend to be interested in taking the offer with them. He knew what the mystery person had said – that he might as well take the offer and gather information because what else did he have to do? And while Waver wanted to agree with that, there was still a loud majority in his mind that was screaming at him that this was a _terrible_ idea. And then there was the other part of him that was very curious as to how businesses like Gate ran, maybe he could get ideas on how to better work from his little workshop.

“I…” He was about to speak, but his stomach growled loudly and Waver remembered that it had been some time since he’d eaten. _I think the last time was when I was out with Rider._ His cheeks went red and he stared down at his lap. Trust his body to have embarrassing reactions when he was in front of ‘important’ people.

“Of course, we will also be making sure you get some food, that would only be right.” Gilgamesh hummed and stared at Waver expectantly.

Waver took the cue and got to his feet. His limbs were still feeling a bit wobbly and unstable, but they were miles better than they had been the previous day. That was all he could ask for, he supposed. He adjusted his clothing and realized how gross they had to be if he had been wearing them for well over twenty-four hours. He also suddenly felt the urge to shower. Those were things he’d have to deal with later – right now it seemed Gilgamesh was intent on showing him Gate’s facilities.

“Would we be able to eat first?” Waver was a bit hesitant to ask, but he wasn’t entirely sure if he could stand a tour that he didn’t really want on an empty stomach. He got a little short with people when he was hungry.

“Of course.” Gilgamesh nodded. “Our cafeteria is quite nice…and free to those who are working with Gate.”

_So that’s why we can go there first, he wants to show off_. Well, Waver wasn’t going to complain. “Thank you, and that must be very nice for your employees.”

“We get quite a lot of positive feedback, yes.” Gilgamesh led Waver out of the cell and motioned for Kirei to come along as well.

There was something about the taller man that just put Waver on edge. Maybe it was the fact that he just seemed to be Gilgamesh’s mainly silent shadow, or the fact that it felt like he was always ready to strike, or any other number of things that triggered Waver’s flight response. It was probably best to not think about the ways that Kirei put Waver on edge when he was going to be around him for an indeterminate amount of time. In the world of bad life choices, that felt pretty high up on the list.

He couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief once he was out of the cell. The area they were in was pretty basic – it could have been any company at this point. Though, Waver had to admit that while it was standard, it was high-end standard. It was clear everything was well-made and probably more expensive than anything he owned. It was almost a little intimidating to be walking on a floor that was probably more expensive than Waver’s entire apartment. He pushed those thoughts away and glanced around almost nervously.

“ _I’ll be looking for possible escape routes, Waver. I know you won’t be able to take them at this point…but perhaps in the future…_ ”

Again, Waver found himself infinitely grateful for Libby. She was operating under the assumption that the mysterious person wasn’t going to come through and be able to save him. It was a negative assumption, but it was one that Waver appreciated at this point. He didn’t want to put all of his eggs in one basket, or all of his faith into one person that he didn’t know. It just didn’t seem like the smartest idea out there – he wanted to have his options open just in case.

After all, what if the mysterious person had him in some situation so similar to this one? Just with a different corporation or association or whatever. Waver didn’t want that. He didn’t want to go from one prison cell to another prison cell. He didn’t want to feel trapped. Especially not trapped into making cybernetics for someone else or some corporation. Waver wanted it to be his decision on who he worked for. He felt that was important for him.

But for now, he followed after Gilgamesh and Kirei. The halls were winding and quite confusing, or they would be if he didn’t have a neural implant with an AI memorizing the whole layout. Again, just in case. He wasn’t going to take chances with this whole situation.

Gilgamesh led Waver through the line of people waiting for food, bringing

“And over here we have our cafeteria, we’ll be stopping here first so we can have something in our bellies before we go through the bulk of our tour.” There was something about Gilgamesh’s voice that was grating against Waver’s ears, it probably had everything to do with the fact that he was certain he was literally starving at this point.

The cafeteria itself was bigger than most parts of the university, Waver noted. It was high ceilinged and far more welcoming than the other parts of the building they’d been in so far. Granted, Waver didn’t think it would be difficult to be more welcoming than a literal cell. The walls were a warmer color than white, sponge-painted with something that warmed everything up considerably. And the aroma that was wafting around was incredible. Waver would have been impressed by the scent of any food at this point, but it smelled particularly delectable.

Gilgamesh led Waver through the line of people waiting for food, straight to the front. There was part of him that felt guilty about it – he didn’t want to skip over other hungry people, but his stomach growled loudly and reminded him that he was possibly, literally starving.

“ _You are not starving, but you do need to keep up your caloric intake or you’ll drop below the threshold for healthy weight for your height._ ”

Waver rolled his eyes at that, but didn’t say anything. Soon enough, there was a tray of food in front of him and he was sitting at a small table with Gilgamesh and Kirei. He picked at his food before starting in on it with gusto. Sure, he was certain that this single meal was possibly the most awkward moment of his life, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him from eating. The other two men were having significantly smaller meals and seemed to be communicating telepathically, though Waver knew that was impossible without certain types of implants. And even then, that wasn’t telepathy; it was just two neural links that were programmed to interact with each other.

“The cafeteria is nice, yes?” Gilgamesh hummed as he finished off his small portion of food. Once he had moved the plate to the side, he was leaning forward with his chin resting in his hands.

“Yes, it is quite nice.” Waver admitted. That wasn’t that hard to admit. It _was_ nice. And it was something innocuous enough, that wasn’t like he was admitting that he agreed with every single business practice that Gate did. “Must be convenient.”

“Indeed, our employees state it’s one of the best parts of working with Gate.” Kirei interjected, though his voice was flat and almost unemotional.

“ _That doesn’t exactly say much about them, does it? Wouldn’t people usually report something like ‘company culture’ being a best part of working somewhere?_ ”

Waver agreed with what Libby was saying wholeheartedly – there were far more important things that should be listed above the food. “Well, if the food is this good every day, I can see why they say that.” He fidgeted as he continued to chow down – he was getting the feeling that he should hurry up. That by him getting proper nutrition he was somehow slowing everything down. “Alright, I’m done, thank you for the meal.”

The feeling that he was being a bother vanished in that moment – Gilgamesh was back to smiling and guiding Waver through the cafeteria. “I figured I would show you the development labs next…”

That perked Waver up quite a bit. The development labs were exactly what he wanted to see. He wanted to see if he was doing things properly in his own home – and if he could implement any of the strategies that they used here at home. It would be a learning experience. And as nerdy as it sounded, Waver was all about making this awful experience into something better, something that would help him learn.

The path to the development labs was far less convoluted than the one to the cafeteria, but Waver still had Libby noting it just in case. It was only a few minutes of a walk from the cafeteria – and before they were even there, Waver could hear the sound of electronics and tools and low chatter. He could feel excitement bubbling up, though he quashed it down. He needed to remember where he was and why he was here, showing excitement wasn’t his best course of action. It would make him seem far too interested in what they were doing here.

But there was part of him that was.

Gilgamesh opened the door and Kirei held it open for the two of them. And Waver nearly fell to the floor. The development lab was enormous. He had been expecting it to be, but this was still beyond what his mind had been able to conceive. He swallowed dryly as he looked from side to side. Obviously, everything was better than he was able to have at home by virtue of everything being funded by a corporation rather than the money he had left over after rent. There were about five scientists huddled at one of the tables with a single implant sitting in front of them, they were speaking in hushed tones while looking over hand drawn blueprints and notes. There was another cluster of scientists doing the same at another table. A cursory glance at both of the implants let him know they were working on reflex enhancement and even _more_ speed boosts. At least that’s what they looked like from the basic structure…

“You seem to be in awe, Waver.” Gilgamesh purred – the sound was far too close to Waver’s ear and he instinctively stepped away – right into Kirei. “It’s nice, isn’t it…”

The implication hung in the air ‘far nicer than what you can manage at home’. Waver edged away from Kirei, his hands clutching tightly to his arms. This was the type of lab he wanted to be able to develop in – but at home. He didn’t want the corporate strings that came with this particular lab. “It’s…really nice. Enormous…”

It was big enough that more teams could be working without any issue, and really, they could be. Lunch was apparently going on, it was entirely feasible for a team or two to be off in the cafeteria.

“Yes, I want my development teams to have enough room to work without feeling crowded. I believe the work of the team in front of us would be of interest to you…”

That confirmed Waver’s suspicions, it was a reflex enhancement implant. And it wasn’t a very good one. It was clear to Waver that it was going to be connecting in the wrong spot to actually work properly, but he was keeping that thought to himself. It might be better made than his because of the highly trained scientists and better quality tools, but Waver was certain he had a better foundation laid out for his project.

“Guess so, yeah.” Waver didn’t let go of his arms, but he did quirk a smile for the blonde man. “It’s nicely made.”

That comment seemed to appease Gilgamesh, who then whisked him off on the rest on the tour. It turned out Gate Incorporated extravagant and opulent the entire time, everything was of the highest quality, especially in the mass production area. Gate Incorporated was also larger than Waver could have anticipated and by the end of the tour, he was dragging. He just wanted to go back to his room, cell, whatever. He wanted to go and sleep some more. He supposed the only way he was going to _not_ go straight to sleep was if he was allowed to go and take a shower and get clean clothes.

They paused outside of his cell and Gilgamesh smiled down at him, though it wasn’t a pleasant expression. Quite the opposite. “Now…Kirei will escort you to the showers so you can get cleaned up. There will be clean clothes there.”

Waver wasn’t entirely sure why that merited _that_ type of smile, but he nodded that he understood. “Alright, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Now…we’d like to know your answer to that question from yesterday.”

So that’s why he was smiling like that. Waver had seen the entirety of the facility, therefore he could give an informed answer to whether or not he would join up with them. He remembered what the mystery person had said – that this was a learning opportunity, that Waver could figure out how this place worked. He knew it was information that would wind up helping the mystery person, but was that really a bad thing? Waver chewed on his lower lip as his brows furrowed together. Even if he had the assurance of some random person that they were going to get him out of here, Waver really didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to join a company that mass produced implants that should be customized to the user…

But at the same time…

What choice did he really have? He wasn’t going to just sit in a cell and do _nothing_ until Gilgamesh wore him down and got him to join or mystery person came and rescued him. No, he had to do something.

“…I…I’ll join up…” Waver looked down at the floor as he said it. He could feel nausea boiling in his belly and he was honestly afraid that his much needed lunch was going to make a sudden reappearance on Gilgamesh’s $1000 shoes.

“Good.” A hand gripped onto Waver’s shoulder just too tight to be considered friendly. “Remember, Waver, your professor wanted to help you. That’s why we reached out. We think you have potential…don’t disappoint us.”

“O…oh. I’ll try my best to work to your standards.” The nausea was intensifying.

“It would be incredibly easy for me to snuff you out before you even have a chance to shine, Waver Velvet.” The grin on his face was edging towards malevolent. “As I said…do not disappoint me.”

With that, Gilgamesh tapped him on the cheek and turned away. Waver clenched his jaw to keep from showing how nervous he was about everything, how much those words got to him. He just had to keep telling himself this was the right thing to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this - November was a very busy month for multiple reasons, the big one being NaNoWriMo. I won, by the way, so there's that! Things should be settling a little, so the update schedule should be back on track. Thank you for your patience!

It was hard for Waver to determine how long he’d been with Gate Incorporated, but the general thought was _too long for comfort._ After agreeing to work with them for an indeterminate amount of time, Waver had been relegated to better housing and given a few more freedoms. But there was a distinct lack of ‘going outside unsupervised’ along with the fact that he was positive that they were capable of locking down his apartment and trapping him should he try to make an escape. He wasn’t sure why they’d have a mechanism like that in place already, because it had either been there before Waver arrived – or they had made it specifically for him. He didn’t really want to contemplate either of those options.

He stretched lazily as he got dressed into clothing that was more protective and functional than aesthetically pleasing. Waver had accepted long ago that lab safe clothing was never going to be particularly pretty. He’d much rather be _safe_ than look good, at least while he was in the lab.

“ _Waver, you should be getting a bit more sleep at night if you wish to work at optimal levels._ ” Libby had been fretting over that ever since Waver had started work. It was sweet, but he hadn’t been able to get as much sleep as he should. Part of it boiled down to him feeling terrible about helping Gate, the rest boiled down to general anxiety over his situation.

And there was part of him that didn’t really _want_ to be working at ‘optimal levels’. Waver was trying his hardest to hinder development on the implant as much as possible. The main reason was his moral objection to this type of implant being mass produced rather than tailored to an individual; the rest was because the prototypes were clearly _not_ ready for testing. There was far too much instability for the implants to be tested with humans – it put too many people at risk.

“I’m okay, Libby.” He muttered under his breath as he ducked down to tie the heavy boots that he wore every day. The boots were one of the few things he liked, though it was for admittedly vain and stupid reasons. They added a bit of much needed height. He knew it was a ridiculous reason to like something, but he couldn’t really help it.

Though saying he was ‘okay’ was a bit of a lie. Waver wasn’t really and Libby knew it.

Waver glanced over at the clock and sighed. He needed to get down to the development lab and get started on his work for the day. There was something incredibly exhausting about his dual role. Under normal circumstances, observing the day to day operations of his workplace wouldn’t be all that difficult. In fact, he’d actively be doing so without any issues. But between the fact that he was being forced into this ‘work’ position and was waiting until he’d be able to be ‘rescued’, everything drained him. Especially since hindering the development process was against every one of Waver’s instincts.

He left his apartment a few moments later while pulling his hair back into a sloppy ponytail. One of the other scientists had suggested it early on. Waver had resisted at first, but having his hair fall into his eyes while he was trying to do delicate work on cybernetics bothered the hell out of him. Turns out the other scientists had been full of little life hacks like that – another had given him hair clips to keep his bangs from stabbing into his eyes. His coworkers were another enjoyable part of the job, he supposed.

“ _You have five minutes to get to the lab within the parameters that Gilgamesh has put into place._ ” Libby’s voice was smooth and calm, yet still urged him to move faster. “ _He does not appreciate tardiness_.”

Waver picked up his speed and made his way through the winding hallways. He’d learned his way around the facility far faster than he had anticipated. He’d had Libby guide him the first few times, but he’d gotten acclimated rather quickly. He wasn’t entirely sure that it was a good thing that he had either. Waver didn’t really want to feel like he belonged here, not when he was going to be swept away eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

He tapped the entry code for the labs on the number pad and waited patiently for the door to open. It slid open a few moments later and revealed the many teams working on various cybernetics projects. Without a second thought, he made his way to the first work station on the right and nodded his greeting to the other scientists. Paracelsus was already there and already looking through the previous day’s work for any indications on what would be the best way to proceed. Medea was sitting nearby and carefully inspecting the implant itself.

Waver wasn’t entirely sure what to make of his two coworkers. Paracelsus was nice enough – he was quiet and mild mannered. Waver almost felt at home with him – perhaps it was the fact that Paracelsus was a pretty man, almost effeminate. Maybe there was a bit of a kindred spirit thing going on there. Medea was focused as well, though there was something about her that had Waver on edge. It felt like he was constantly walking on eggshells with her. She was taller than he was with impractically long hair that was a shade of muted purple. Waver assumed that she dyed it.

“Sorry I’m a little late.” Waver wasn’t, but he still felt the need to apologize. “I overslept.” It was only a half-truth – he’d had trouble getting moving that morning because he wasn’t sleeping well in general.

“Its fine, Waver, you aren’t late yet.” Paracelsus vaguely motioned to the clock to show that there were still three minutes until what Gilgamesh considered late passed. “We should get to work though.”

The notes for the last week of work were spread across the table so the three of them could peruse them for small bits of information that might give them that breakthrough they needed to make progress on the implant. And really, they were making progress. Waver just sometimes suggested the second or third most helpful bits of information rather than the one that would further development the best. He leaned forward on his elbows as his loose bangs fell into his eyes while he tried to pick out the bit of information that would help but not help _too_ much. It was a delicate game.

“Waver…you forgot to clip your bangs back again.” Medea sighed as she moved over to do it for him. Her delicate fingers were cold against his skin while she made quick work of the alligator clips and his hair. “Having to push your hair back every five seconds will just create static.”

He knew she was right, but in his sleep-deprived state he had honestly forgotten to clip them back. “Thank you, Medea. It never stays as well when I do it.” He was still getting the hang of the clips. Maybe it was just his hair that didn’t like to behave. It was smooth and slippery and the clips seemed to be repelled away from it.

The woman shifted back to her part of the table before going back to reading through the papers. Suggestions were made – the three of them sounding ideas off of each other. Yes, there was definitely something about this work environment that Waver really liked. Despite him still being a student, Paracelsus and Medea had accepted him as an equal and were considering his ideas on the same level as theirs. Upon seeing his rough designs for the implants, they had immediately understood what he was getting at and had seen the flaw in Gate Incorporated’s previous design. Being treated as an intellectual equal was wonderful. It was something that Waver craved in life and if other corporations had creative processes like this, he actually found himself wanting to collaborate with them. He’d just be doing his research on which corporations carefully.

“Alright…I believe the best course of action for today would be Medea continuing research into alternative structures in case this one is not stable enough…” Paracelsus frowned as he looked at the notes. There were fine lines creasing at the corners of his eyes. “Waver, I want you working on the prototype. Gilgamesh is pushing for testing within the next three weeks.”

Gilgamesh had been pushing for testing on humans ever since Waver had arrived. Paracelsus and Medea were on Waver’s side for this one – the cybernetic was nowhere near ready to be implanted on anyone. There were far too many risks and they certainly didn’t outweigh the benefits. Gilgamesh seemed to be having trouble understanding that. Waver was under the impression that Gilgamesh wasn’t very used to hearing the word ‘no’ and that when he did he displayed an amount of impatience that was usually reserved for overtired toddlers.

“Alright, will do.” Waver shifted further down the bench so he was a safe distance from the others. It wasn’t that he expected danger, but better safe than sorry. Especially when he was working with high tech implants, semi-dangerous tools, and electricity.

It was interesting to see his ideas implemented with better quality than he was able to produce back at the lab in his home. Aspects of the implant that had been shaky before were sturdy now. Waver was surprised at how much his craftsmanship depended on the tools he was using. He’d always thought that he wasn’t that great at soldering, but it turned out that his soldering iron just wasn’t that great. His hands were still a bit too shaky to be really considered good, but he was definitely improving with the better equipment.

And it was for the best for him to be assigned to handle the implant itself. Waver was certain that Medea or Paracelsus would be able to tell that he was trying to hold development back. Actually, he was almost certain Paracelsus was aware of it already but was just not saying anything.

The day dragged by slowly, as it usually did when he was trying his hardest to only focus on the small fiddly bits of the implant that didn’t actually impact function too much. He’d claim that he was adding stability – and in all actuality he was – but it was mainly a method of stalling for time. Libby was chiming in and giving information here and there, if only to alleviate some of the tedium. Soon enough, the end of the day was there. Waver documented what he’d done for the day with a sigh. He wasn’t sure what he disliked more, the fact that he was trapped in this situation or the fact that he was working on his implant but not making any progress whatsoever. He was about to leave, but Parcelsus tapped his shoulder and motioned him over to the side.

“Waver…I know you want the implant to be just right before it gets tested, but unfortunately, we both know that isn’t possible. Gilgamesh is going to start demanding results.” The entire time he spoke, Paracelsus’ voice was even and calm. “Please don’t make me usurp to project from you just in the name of progress.”

He blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it immediately. Everything about his coworker was screaming non-aggression, yet Waver felt on edge and couldn’t place why. “I…I’m sorry…I’m just not used…”

“I am aware that you are not used to working for a corporation that mass produces implants. I am aware of your stance on this implant and its need for customization for individuals.” Again, still so calm, but something in Paracelsus’ expression chilled Waver to the bone. “But know that you aren’t just jeopardizing _yourself_ when you hold the project back.” A moment later, Paracelsus was shoving past Waver.

Waver held onto his forearms and pushed away the discomfort and apprehension that was creeping up his spine. He knew that Paracelsus was right – he wasn’t putting only himself in danger. He was jeopardizing Paracelsus and Medea as well. And while he didn’t plan on working here any longer than he had to, he did care about his coworkers. They were kind in their own ways. He didn’t want them hurt.

But his actions _were_ hurting them.

“ _The labs will be locking down for the night in two minutes. I suggest heading out._ ”

Waver rolled his eyes and did as his AI suggested. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way back to his apartment. He would cook something simple in there; he didn’t feel like dealing with the loudness and crowdedness of the cafeteria at this point. After all, he still had a little more work to do before he could relax for the evening.

Once he was tucked into his apartment, he started typing a message to his mystery friend straight from his neural implant. Waver was certain typing a message of this length would give him a headache later on, but he’d deal with the consequences then. The message sent not a moment later.

Waver slumped down onto the sofa and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could do this. He was bored, he was nervous all the time, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d managed to get a good night of sleep. But his thoughts were interrupted as a messaged flashed in front of his vision.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] good work with the intel. guess what, your rescue party is happening soon

[LondonStar] wait seriously?

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] for your safety i can’t tell you which day until then, but it will happen soon

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] until the, you’ve gotta keep up the façade

Waver sighed and closed his eyes again – that he had been expecting. No concrete day and the expectation that he continue to act like he wanted to help Gate Incorporated.

[LondonStar] alright, thanks

He could do it. He could make it through this. There was hope in sight now and that was enough to give him a little more energy.

He could do this.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alright, looks like I'm back on track for two updates a month - thank you for being patient with me through November!
> 
> happy holidays~
> 
> next update is in 2017!

Waver grumbled in his semi-conscious state. It felt like something was beeping _in_ his mind, which was ridiculous. Libby knew not to start forwarding pings until he was completely awake – meaning once he was up and moving. He wondered if it was just part of the dreams he’d been having and that it was lingering around. But that didn’t make sense either.

“Fine! I’ll get up!” Waver snarled into his pillow. His eyes were still closed as he sat up. It was earlier than he _wanted_ to be awake. He still had a decent amount of time before he had to be at the meeting that was being held. He’d hoped to spend it _sleeping_.

He finally opened his eyes and was greeted by a message on his neural link. Libby knew better than to forward messages to him while he was asleep, that meant someone had overridden all the security settings. That meant the mystery person had messaged. Waver opened the message with a yawn and let the blankets pool around his waist as he sat up.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] today is the day. go about the day as normal, i can’t tell you when everything is happening

Waver assumed that was for his own safety, but it annoyed the hell out of him anyway.

[LondonStar] got it

He didn’t feel like there was much more to say than that. Waver squinted as he glanced at the clock. Still too early to be awake, but now he was awake. He grumbled in irritation as he slumped out of bed. It felt strange to be so incredibly irritated on the day that he was finally getting free from Gate Incorporated. But between being woken up early and the fact that he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this mystery person, he couldn’t really help it. His nerves were manifesting as irritation.

“ _Apologies, he bypassed me, Waver._ ” Libby sounded genuinely apologetic.

Some of the irritation blew out of him like air escaping a balloon. There was no point in holding on to his irritation, it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Especially when it seemed that Libby thought Waver was upset with _her_ for letting the messages through. He sighed and spoke very softly. “It’s alright.”

Waver dressed slowly and debated going down to the cafeteria, but he wasn’t entirely sure that his stomach was going to be able to handle food at this point. The fact that he was being ‘rescued’ today had his stomach resembling a pile of knots. He knew that skipping meals was a stupid idea, especially if he was hoping to _ever_ hit the growth spurt that doctors had promised him, but he’d rather not vomit. Another look at the clock told him that he could at least start meandering toward where the meeting was supposed to be. At the very least, Waver could get out of the room and stretch his legs.

Waver sighed to himself as he left the room with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. A few people nodded greetings to him, which he returned. After all, it was only polite. The employees were all relatively kind to him, though they were a bit guarded at times, at least the ones that knew the situation that Waver was in. They were wary of him because he was an outsider and it was just another reminder that he didn’t quite belong here.

He shook away those thoughts and paused at a vending machine to grab a soda and something small to snack on. While he didn’t think he could stomach much in terms of food, he needed to put something in his stomach or he was going to feel awful all day long. And his mood would continue to deteriorate if he didn’t eat _something_.

With his snack and beverage acquired, Waver started making his way to the room that the meeting was going to be held in. He wasn’t entirely sure what the topic of this meeting was, but Waver was sure it was going to be one that he didn’t particularly like. That’s how he felt about most of the meetings. They were often reminders for the development team he was on to hurry up with their progress on the implant and, in general, Gilgamesh being impatient while Kirei stood in the background looking vaguely menacing. If he took how terrible his luck was into consideration, then this meeting was likely going to be ‘here is the date that the implant will be shipping out’ and him being ordered to make it happen.

There were already a few people in the meeting room – both Medea and Paracelsus among them. Notably, Gilgamesh and Kirei were not. That didn’t really surprise Waver much, Gilgamesh arrived when Gilgamesh deemed it appropriate for him to arrive. So long as you were there before him, you weren’t late. At least that’s what Waver had picked up from his time with Gate.

He sat down near his team and started in on his snack and soda. He could feel eyes on him and assumed that Paracelsus was staring at him – a reminder that if Waver continued to hinder development that he was going to take over. There had been something about how calm the other man had been when he said all of that that made Waver think there was more to it than just taking over. Again, he shook away the negative feelings. Now wasn’t the time.

There was a good deal of uncomfortable silence permeating through the room as they waited. It was nearly unbearable and Waver wished that he could basically anywhere else. He was pretty sure the awkwardness that was wafting through the room was enough to make anyone lose it. After what felt like an eternity, Gilgamesh entered the room and took his seat at the head of the table. As usual, his face was set in a smug grin. It was the sort of grin that inspired others to punch him in the face. But Waver merely looked down at the table and the datapad in front of him, to anyone else it would look like he was preparing to take notes. In reality, he just didn’t want to meet Gilgamesh’s eyes.

“Today we’ll be going over development timelines.” Gilgamesh hummed. “Our primary discussion point will be the implant that increases reflex speed.”

He had known it was coming and it still felt like a spike had been driven through his brain. There were parts of working with Gate Incorporated that were almost pleasant – he enjoyed being able to bounce ideas off of Paracelsus and Medea. He was really thrilled to be able to work with quality equipment and to have space to actually work on implants safely. But Waver absolutely hated the executive meddling and pressure to get a product out quickly.

“Mr. Velvet, I know there have been multiple delays on the implant. Kayneth had mentioned that your architecture was sound…” There wasn’t an accusation actually said, but it was hanging in the air. Gilgamesh was wondering why a product that was already relatively sound was hanging in development hell. The implication was that Waver was holding it there (which he was).

“An implant enhances reflexes is complex. One small change can impact multiple aspects of the implant. Getting it to be stable enough to be _safe_ has been trying.” That wasn’t even a lie – Waver had been struggling with that even before he was taken to Gate Incorporated. “As such, development is taking longer than anticipated.” He didn’t look up while he spoke, he was afraid to see judgmental expressions on Paracelsus and Medea’s faces.

“Be that as it may, the season for deploying new product is coming quickly.” There was a hint of irritation seeping into Gilgamesh’s tone. “And while a product like this will draw plenty of attention on its own, it would be a smarter move as a company to have a strategic release.” It almost sounded like he was grinding his teeth.

Waver supposed that he could see the logic of a strategic release, especially for a company like Gate Incorporated. Personally, he’d be doing small scale advertisement and tweaking the implants to suit each individual person, but that was _him_. Obviously he would have different views on how advertisement and release should work. He was an independent party.

“I understand, sir.” Again, he wouldn’t look up. Waver fiddled with the datapad for a moment. “I still believe that finding a ‘one size fits all’ setting for the implant is going to be difficult…the nature of it makes it require individualization.”

A collective sigh went through the room. Waver knew that most of them were very tired of hearing this, but it was true. Waver, Paracelsus, and Medea all knew it. And while Paracelsus was trying to comply with Gilgamesh’s wishes, Waver was pretty sure the other man would be able to make a case in Waver’s favor as well.

“I am aware of your stance on this matter, Mr. Velvet.” The hint of irritation was becoming more apparent and Waver suddenly felt like he was treading on thin ice. “People can visit customization shops to get the implant calibrated to them. You will get a prototype ready for testing within the next week and a half, understood?”

Waver finally looked up from the table and nearly flinched when he saw the expression on Gilgamesh’s face. He was pretty sure that face could make a baby (or a grown man) cry. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was twisted into a snarl. It was a far cry from the usual, almost affable look.

He wasn’t going to say anything more on the matter, but having people rely on customization shops was a band-aid solution. That meant Gilgamesh knew he’d be sending out a potentially flawed product and that wasn’t a business model that Waver could stand behind. At all. It was dishonest, and in this case, it was potentially dangerous, even deadly. Because of the nature of the cybernetic, it was going to be implanted in sensitive, delicate areas. If the person implanted the vanilla chip or went to a customization shop that didn’t really know what they were doing…well…Waver didn’t really want to think of the repercussions.

What was worse was the fact that Medea and Paracelsus remained silent throughout everything. They didn’t come to his defense or even say _anything_. He had been feeling isolated before, but now the feeling was exponentially worse.

“…yes sir…” Waver bowed his head again. His shoulders were crunching in and he couldn’t help but feel _so_ defeated. There was part of him that wondered if he was really cut out for working in the cybernetic business because he was in the minority in regards to how he believed the system should work. He supposed he could try and change the system eventually, but for now, he’d have to keep his head down and deal with what Gilgamesh wanted.

Waver was hardly listening when Gilgamesh started continuing the meeting. It was like sounds were underwater, all muffled, distant, and distorted. He doubted his input was needed for much else anyway. And it wasn’t like they were going to take his advice on anything either.

But before the meeting could really get back into swing, all the lights in the room went out at the same time. There hadn’t been any flickering or any indications that the lights were wearing out, or that there was a storm nearby. No, the lights merely went out all at once. Waver kept a hold on the datapad just in case he wound up needing a light. The datapad wasn’t connected to the power in the room or building, so it should still function. At least in theory.

“Someone get backup generators on.” Gilgamesh still sounded _quite_ irritated that his meeting wasn’t going as planned. “Contact maintenance as well, find the _source_ of this and fix it.”

He wanted to ask Libby if she could detect any issues, but that would mean speaking. Waver stayed quiet and still. For the moment he could just be happy that the meeting was stalled. It was a few moments of _not_ dealing with corporate bullshit – it would let him regain his composure. He didn’t want them to see how much their decisions upset him.

“What do you _mean_ you can’t get through to maintenance, keep trying!” Gilgamesh’s voice was starting to sound angry.

Waver just wanted to go back to his room and ignore the day. He just hoped this resolved quickly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit longer than anticipated - the holidays wiped me out entirely. And this chapter was being uncooperative.
> 
> I might throw out a double update at some point soon to make up for how long this one took~
> 
> Happy new year <3

Several minutes had passed and Gilgamesh hadn’t been able to get through to maintenance to see to the lights, nor had the backup generators come on. Waver has stayed very still among the confusion and panic – the lights were just out. It wasn’t like the world was ending or something. Once the lights came back on, they’d all be embarrassed for running around like chickens with their heads cut off and they’d go back to the boring meeting that Gilgamesh had in store for them.

He sighed and leaned forward to rest his head against his forearms. With how poorly he’d been sleeping, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a bit more rest. It was even dark. Waver was sure he’d get scolded by Gilgamesh for sleeping on the job, but what else was he supposed to do while they waited for the lights to come back on?

But before he could even get his head down, there were large hands on his shoulders. He jolted in his chair and let out a soft, indignant noise. Just because it was dark didn’t mean it was okay to _touch_ him. Waver turned to slap the hands away from his shoulders, but found himself unable to really move. The hands on him were strong enough to hold him in place. It wasn’t like it was hard to restrain Waver, he was pretty sure a scrawny teenager would be able to, but it didn’t change the panic that was spreading through his mind and body.

He inhaled sharply; ready to tear into whoever had the gall to touch him – _in the dark_ – without his permission. But before he could even say _anything_ one of those hands clamped over his mouth. Waver felt himself being lifted unceremoniously from the chair, but had the good sense to stay still while he was moved. If whoever was moving him was strong enough to lift him without effort, they were strong enough to hurt him without much effort. Struggling would only result in him being hurt.

Still…he was frightened. He could feel fear coursing through his body. Waver didn’t like not knowing, he liked having concrete details. He liked having facts. Then he could understand what was going on and suppress his fear. But right now? He couldn’t. He couldn’t squash down the fear that something terrible was happening and he was going to get dragged along for the ride. Again. There were tears prickling at the corners of his eyes and he inhaled shakily behind the large hand.

Whoever was holding him shifted and brought their face down close to Waver’s ear. He could feel the scratchiness of a beard against his neck, so he assumed the person who was holding him was male. “Shh…it’s alright. It’s Rider.”

Waver bit back the startled noise, but went completely compliant in Rider’s arms (though he was amused to admit that part of the surprise was how _quiet_ Rider was being). How the hell was Rider in here? And more importantly _why_ was Rider in there? But his mind settled in on the answer quickly enough – that meant Rider was likely allied with the mystery person who had been promising to aid Waver.

He nodded that he understood that he wasn’t in danger and held onto Rider’s arm for dear life. Waver could feel that they were moving through the meeting room with ease and grace. He could only assume that Rider had some sort of night vision device on that was helping him navigate through everything.

“It’s going to be okay…we’re getting you out of here, boy.” Rider’s voice was still so soft, gentle even. Waver didn’t even mind being called boy, when it came from Rider it didn’t feel like an insult. It almost felt endearing. “I need both hands…I’m going to let go of your mouth now. Please… _please_ stay quiet.”

Waver nodded again and clenched his teeth to keep from making any noises whatsoever. There was a soft electronic beep as Rider shifted Waver around and they slipped out of the open door. He wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but something about this felt far too easy. Maybe he was just too pessimistic. Or maybe he was just being realistic. He couldn’t really tell at this point.

It was almost karmic, really. Barely even two seconds after they were out of the meeting room, the lights went back on. Thankfully, Rider had managed to get clear of sight, but they were only _just_ out of sight. And Rider was big. If anyone even _peeked_ out the door, they were going to get spotted. Panic and tension were making Waver’s body tighten like a drawn back bowstring. His tilted his head so he could see Rider’s face. It was clear he was conflicted on what action he wanted to take by the way he was chewing on his lower lip. While so close, Waver could see that there was a digital visor across his eyes in a shade of gold – that must have been how he was able to see in the dark.

“We’re running.” Rider muttered to Waver before setting him down. One of those enormous hands held tightly to Waver’s. “Stay close.”

All Waver seemed capable of doing was nodding mutely. Maybe he was just too frightened to talk, or maybe he wasn’t sure what he should say. Or he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t want to seem like an idiot – or any combination of those.

“ _I am certain that Rider would not find you a fool for voicing your opinions, Waver_.”

A tug on his arm pulled him from his thoughts. Waver stumbled as he attempted to keep up with Rider’s much longer stride. It was difficult, but he was determined to do it. He wanted to be of _some_ use during all of this. Rider stopped so abruptly that Waver went sliding into his firm back. He let out a startled noise and rubbed at his face. He was disturbed by how much that had hurt – he was pretty certain that his face was going to bruise from colliding with Rider.

“You will go no further.” The voice that spoke was deep and ominous. And Waver knew the voice, though he’d rarely heard it before. After all, Kirei was a man of few words.

The feeling that had been plaguing him the entire time he’d been acquainted with Kirei reached a fever pitch – he’d always thought that the man felt dangerous, like he was capable of far more than he ever let on. Waver peeked around Rider’s bulky body and saw Kirei standing in a rigid fighting stance. His face was emotionless as always, but there was a fire in his eyes that wasn’t usually present. He couldn’t place what the emotion behind them was, but it was enough to put Waver more on edge.

Rider laughed at Kirei, the sound booming through the hallway and bouncing against Waver’s eardrums. His jaw was hanging slack, he knew it was. Because laughter was not the reaction he had expected. A second glance at Rider showed Waver that there was extra tension in the man’s frame and a steely look in his eyes, but otherwise he appeared to be as he usually was. Waver wasn’t entirely sure how Rider could do that…

“The boy and I are going to be leaving.” The grin on Rider’s face was dark, but still present as ever. “It would be best if you stepped aside.”

Rider’s words had no effect on Kirei. The man continued to stand before them in his fighting stance. If anything, the glint in his eyes had intensified. Waver shifted uncomfortably as he looked between the two. Almost as if he was sensing Waver’s growing discomfort, Rider turned to him and patted his head.

“Stay back here.” The smile slowly faded from Rider’s face as he turned back to Kirei.

Waver had absolutely no intention of getting close enough to get caught in the crossfire or pulled in or anything like that. No, he was going to stay safe and then he and Rider were getting the hell out of here.

It was almost as if Rider and Kirei were moving too fast for Waver’s eyes to follow, one second they were several feet apart and the next they were right on each other and trading punches and kicks. It was hard to tell who was faring better – Rider was still smiling, though there was an edge to it that hadn’t been present before. And it dawned on Waver, Rider _liked_ fighting. Despite the danger of the situation, it very much seemed like his rescuer was enjoying himself. Waver wasn’t sure he found the appeal, it felt like his heart was trying to claw out of his chest and escape and his lungs were struggling to get full breaths.

The fight seemed to be driving most people away from them, which Waver was grateful for. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do if someone came over to him and tried to drag him away. He just hoped that the vicious fight continued to scare people away.

He flinched as Rider took a particularly hard hit – one that had the giant of a man stumbling back a step. But instead of toppling over, Rider shrugged the blow off and laughed again before throwing himself back into the fray with abandon. But what frightened Waver was that Rider didn’t seem to be making any headway in defeating Kirei. They were almost at a standstill…

“ _Waver. Evasive action suggested._ ” Libby’s voice was urgent as she spoke into his mind. “ _Now_.”

“Wait what…?” Waver’s voice was barely a whisper as he responded to his AI. “What do you mean…?”

“ _Get into a place where Rider is blocking you. Now._ ”

Waver was already behind Rider and wasn’t sure how he was supposed to get _further_ behind him. But he took a few steps closer and hoped that was what his AI wanted. The distressed sound that rang through his mind told him that he hadn’t exactly succeeded in what she was hoping for. He glanced around the area in hopes of seeing what she sensed, but he didn’t really see anything.

Until he saw a flash of golden circuitry. Waver remembered what that strange weapon did and dodged away before it could make contact with his ribs. His eyes were wide as they settled on Diarmuid – it was almost strange to see him in the light. But that was an advantage this time around – Waver could see far better than the last time he’d encountered him. He supposed that it was also a disadvantage, _Diarmuid_ could also see him better.

The club was barreling toward Waver’s other side this time and he narrowly dodged again. His heart was hammering, his breath coming in sharp, frightened pants. Waver was trying to get his lungs to work, trying to get his _voice_ to work, but it wasn’t happening. Not yet, at least. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep up with Diarmuid. Eventually Waver was going to screw up and Diarmuid would get a hit in and Gate Incorporated would have leverage over Rider. And then they’d both be stuck here.

“ _Waver, calm yourself. You aren’t alone._ ”

Right. He wasn’t alone this time. He didn’t have to rely on himself.

“Rider!” Waver’s voice finally worked again, though it was scratchy and breaking. “Th…there’s another one!” Talking seemed to distract him and almost let Diarmuid land a hit, so Waver went quiet.

Rider glanced over his shoulder at Waver and swore under his breath when he saw Diarmuid repeatedly swinging. Waver could see the man going over every possible outcome of this encounter and was a bit disturbed to see his face getting grim. That wasn’t comforting in the least. He squeaked as Rider shoved him behind him. Waver could just barely see around the other man’s body, but really, he wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to be able to see what was going on.

There was an odd crackle that emanated from Rider, which caused the man to snort. “Yeah yeah, I’m holding out. Hurry up.” His voice was hushed, but Waver was close enough that he was still able to hear. “Now now…” It seemed that Rider’s attention was back to the attackers. “Sneaking behind me to try and get who I’m protecting? I expected better.”

Waver closed his eyes tightly. He’d been so hopeful – but it felt like his hopes of getting away from this place were crashing around him slowly. He couldn’t watch right now, he was too afraid. But the sounds of skin smacking into skin rang out in front of him, as well as grunts of pain, and heavy breathing. He wanted to help, he wanted to be useful…but he didn’t know what to do…

He didn’t know how to fix this.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as always, thank you for all the kind comments! it makes my day <3

With each passing moment, it felt like the small amount of hope that Waver had built up was waning to nothingness. Rider was struggling to keep up with the assault from Kirei and Diarmuid. He didn’t know how to fight; he’d either get himself hurt or caught or Rider hurt or killed. Waver wasn’t equipped to help in a situation like this – he’d only be a hindrance. All he could do was hide behind someone like a coward. Waver hated that he wasn’t able to do anything, that he was just a millstone dragging Rider down to a dreary fate.

It was practical for a young person in a city like his to have some knowledge of self-defense – yet Waver was completely uneducated in that matter. He’d focused on his studies instead. He’d avoided going out in times that would land him in trouble. And now here he was in trouble and he was unable to do _anything_.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] keep holding out, kid

He flinched as the words flashed across his vision. Waver read over them twice and swallowed dryly. Keep holding out. Said like it was so simple, like there wasn’t chaos all around him. While the words irritated him to a degree, there was hope expanding in his chest again. Maybe there was more help coming. Maybe this could still work; maybe he would still get away from Gate Incorporated.

[LondonStar] things are a bit dicey here – but i’ll try

That was all he could really promise. That he’d try.

Waver’s thoughts were interrupted as he saw Kirei barreling at him. He squawked and ducked off to the side in hopes of getting away from the other man. If Rider was being winded from the hits, Waver would probably be _killed_. Kirei was throwing strikes at him, but Waver was able to dodge them. That fact alone had suspicion rising in his mind, but he squashed it down.

“ _You’re almost behind Rider, keep moving!_ ” Libby’s voice, while urgent, was calming in a way. It reminded Waver that he wasn’t alone, that there was always someone looking out for him. “ _Wait, no. Waver, go to your left. **Now**._ ”

The sudden change in her tone made Waver stumbled over his own feet. He gasped as he fell backwards and felt his body start tensing in preparation for hitting the ground. But the pain didn’t come. Instead, Waver felt strong hands gripping onto his shoulders. He didn’t dare take his eyes off of Kirei to look over his shoulder, but there was something that Waver could only describe as a grin passing over Kirei’s face. It was twisted and made it feel like there were bugs crawling underneath his skin. A moment later, Kirei was running back to join the fray. It was only then that Waver looked over his shoulder.

It was Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh had grabbed him.

Waver felt bile bubbling up in the back of his throat and panic threatening to race through his body. He opened his mouth to alert Rider, but one of Gilgamesh’s hands clamped over his mouth. His expression was nothing short of vicious and spelled out exactly how _dead_ Waver was if he tried to struggle or scream. He took in a few heaving breaths and felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. _No…I was so. I was so close to getting away, why did this have to happen??_

The hand on his mouth shifted so the arm was hooked around Waver’s neck – a choke. The other hand grabbed one of Waver’s wrists and wrenched it up behind his back. His heartbeat was more like a flutter at this point and he was certain he was shaking like a leaf in a storm, but Waver complied with Gilgamesh and moved along with him. Not like he had much choice in the matter.

“ _I’m sorry, Waver. I should have warned you sooner._ ”

The regret in Libby’s voice hit straight to Waver’s heart. He felt a tear slid down his cheek and he closed his eyes tightly. Hold out. Hold out implied there was more help coming. Waver didn’t want to let himself be hopeful and have everything dashed…but he wanted to believe. He really did.

“Excuse me.” Gilgamesh’s voice broke over the sound of fighting, clear as a bell but with none of the purity. “If I may have your attention.”

Waver watched as Rider continued to fight as though Gilgamesh had said nothing at all. He had to bite back a laugh at that – Waver could only imagine that the thought going through Rider’s head was that Gilgamesh was trying to distract him in the middle of a fight. From the way Rider moved, Waver could make the assumption that he was a seasoned enough fighter to not fall for stupid tricks like that. However, the lack of response seemed to irritate Gilgamesh. The grip around Waver’s neck tightened just enough for him to be genuinely afraid that he was going to be choked out. A moment after that, Gilgamesh tugged Waver’s wrist up and it felt like fire was encasing his shoulder joint. He yelped and squirmed to try and free himself.

While Gilgamesh speaking hadn’t stopped Rider’s fighting, Waver crying out did. He took a few steps back and kept his eyes on his opponents, but he stopped. Waver was giving him an apologetic look – he hadn’t meant to be caught, he hadn’t meant to ruin the escape. _I wanted to help…_

“Now that I have your attention…” Gilgamesh’s voice was filled to the brim with smugness and he pulled Waver’s wrist upwards again. Waver tried his hardest to not cry out that time, the sound was strangled and partially muffled as he bit his lip. “Why don’t we stop this little fight?”

Waver watched Rider’s expression shift from excited but tense fighting to something more akin to fear and worry. He closed his eyes – he didn’t want to see him look disappointed. Even if things had seemed dire, there was still a chance that he and Rider could have gotten out of this mess – that seemed far less likely now that he was in Gilgamesh’s grip. He wouldn’t rule it out because nothing was truly impossible, it was just highly, _highly_ unlikely.

“I’m s…sorry…” He mumbled as he tried to squirm into a position that didn’t torque his shoulder quite so badly, but he couldn’t fight against Gilgamesh’s superior strength.

“Let go of him, Gilgamesh.” Rider’s voice was low, barely a growl. The humor that Waver had heard in it before was gone and the man’s expression was bordering on dour. “You can’t keep a man against his will. I’m sure I could arrange for the authorities to be called once your goons escort me from this building.”

Waver knew that Rider had a point – it was illegal to hold him here like this. It was kidnapping and blackmail and…just wrong. But he had the distinct feeling that Gilgamesh didn’t really care or that he didn’t fear the police force in the least. That was at least partially confirmed when Gilgamesh burst into laughter – a full on belly laugh that jolted Waver’s shoulder over and over.

“Now now…I’m not holding Waver against his will.” Gilgamesh smirked at Rider. “He stayed of his own volition, didn’t you Waver?”

Waver kept his mouth shut, he didn’t dare say anything either way. But it seemed that his silence was not appreciated as he felt Gil creep his hand up higher and higher to amplify the pressure on his shoulder. It took everything in him to not cry out, but he could feel tears prickling at the corners of his eyes.

“That doesn’t look like the face of a man who is staying on his own, Gilgamesh.” Rider hummed – some of the humor had slipped back into his voice, but mainly he sounded _dangerous_. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

He let out a snorting laugh at that comment, but it came out more like a strangled sob. Waver clenched his jaw and finally opened his eyes. Rider’s expression had shifted again – he still appeared to be worried, that much was clear from how his brows were furrowing together – but there was something a bit lighter there as well. Waver didn’t know why, but that look made him feel just a bit more hopeful.

“Be silent.” Gilgamesh growled at Rider as he shook Waver’s wrist to remind everyone who was in charge of the situation. “Tell him, Waver. Tell him that you’re here because you choose to be. That there is no reason to ‘rescue’ you. You are perfectly safe here.”

The grip on his wrist had tightened significantly and each of Gilgamesh’s words was emphasized by his arm being pulled steadily higher. A small, pained whine slipped from his lips – but Waver didn’t say anything.

And he didn’t get the chance to say anything.

Very abruptly, Waver’s knees slammed into the ground as he was released. Confusion and relief washed over him, but they were temporary when his mind was assaulted with the pain from his shoulder and the reality that he was not yet out of the dangerous situation. He glanced up and saw that another man had joined them – one with blue hair and red eyes. There was a long spear or lance in his hands – one that had circuitry running along the shaft. The tip of the weapon was pointed at Gilgamesh’s throat. Those sharp, crimson eyes shifted over to Waver and he felt himself shrink a little, but then the man grinned. The warmth in his face was comforting, but Waver had no idea who this guy was.

[ƴη@℘ґ℮] good to see you in person, kid

His eyes went wide – no way. He wouldn’t have thought that someone who was _clearly_ a hacker would come out into the field like this, but he guessed he was wrong.

“Get over to Rider, kid.” Waver blinked and faltered for a second before scrambling over to Rider without question. Kirei made a grab for him, but Rider grabbed Waver’s uninjured arm and dragged him close. “Rider, get the kid out of here. I’ll meet up with you in a bit.”

“Roger that, Lancer.” Rider hooked an arm around Waver’s waist and hoisted him up. And barely a moment later, they were running at a speed that Waver wasn’t really sure was possible for a man of Rider’s size.

“Stop them!” Gilgamesh’s shout was sharp and almost seemed _venomous_.

Waver had a good view of Lancer as Rider carried him away from the scene. He’d slipped into a stance that screamed training and high levels of skill – but what caught his attention more was how comfortable he seemed to be with the idea of taking on three men at once.

“Gotta get past me first, goldie.” Lancer snickered before diving into action.

Waver didn’t get a chance to see any more than that – Rider had ducked around a corner and had picked up speed considerably. Any guard that they ran into was knocked out with a quick punch. It seemed, in comparison to Diarmuid and Kirei, that all the other guards were mooks. Things were quiet and tense until Rider finally got them out of Gate Incorporated. Waver’s breath caught as they moved past the fences and out into the city proper. The tension that had been in Waver’s body the entire time he had been at Gate was dissipating with each step further away.

Eventually, Rider ducked into a dilapidated building and finally set Waver down. “You alright, boy?” He had a hand resting on Waver’s uninjured shoulder.

“I…” Waver’s voice hitched and he fought down the lump that had formed in his throat. “I think so. My shoulder hurts…”

“I can imagine so.” Rider sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t do anything for that now, once we’re at the safe house we’ll be able to get you patched up.”

A safe house…at this point anywhere away from Gate was highly appealing. He sighed and rested against the dirty interior wall of the building. Waver wasn’t really sure what to make of today – or a lot of things, for that matter.

“I…saw you on the night I was taken. _As_ I was taken.” Waver muttered as he tried to process everything. “Why were you watching…?” He knew he should be thanking Rider for saving him, but he wanted answers as well. It was something that had been bugging him since that night.

“We had gotten intel that Gate might make a move on you in the near future – even before you talked to Kayneth Archibald.” Rider crossed his arms over his chest. “I was observing you to get a feel of your daily life so we could stop an attempt. They moved faster than we thought they would.”

Waver tilted his head and felt his face contort in confusion. He couldn’t comprehend someone wanting to take him in _before_ knowing about the implants he was working on. It wasn’t like he was particularly spectacular at anything else. “They wanted me before they knew?”

Rider nodded. “Gate’s always looking for promising scientists. Archibald noted that you were the best student he’d had in ages and you were marked for acquisition.” He sighed and held his arms up in a shrug. “It seems they sped up the process after discovering your implant. We weren’t prepared to make sure you didn’t get taken yet, I’m sorry.”

 _Acquisition_. Like he was a product rather than a person. Waver hugged his arms around his torso and nodded. He supposed it made enough sense – Rider and Lancer’s group had wanted to protect him from Gate, Gate just wanted more scientists. His cheeks flushed a little.

“What about that dinner?” Waver’s voice was almost timid. “was that…”

Rider grinned. “That was me on break. I just wanted to get dinner with a nice man.”

Waver’s cheeks started burning and he ducked his head down slightly. He was smiling, but he didn’t want Rider to see how easily he blushed. He finally spoke after a few moments. “Thank you, for everything.”

“Not a problem, boy.” Rider patted him on the shoulder. “We should get moving. I don’t want Gate tailing us to the safe house.”

Waver nodded his agreement and let himself be scooped up again. He was thankful, happy even, but mainly, he was exhausted from the day’s events. Rest was needed, rest and time to process everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had people asking about the name ƴη@℘ґ℮ - because it doesn't really seem to fit with anyone. That was deliberate! I wanted to hide his identity until the reveal. So I put 'Lancer' through a caesar cipher (key being 13) and then used a website to encode the letters into _prettier_ letters.
> 
> Here's a link to the website I used for the [caesar cipher](http://www.xarg.org/tools/caesar-cipher/) and here's the website that made the letters all ~fancy~ [here's the website that made the letters all ~fancy~](http://fsymbols.com/generators/encool/)
> 
> as always, thank you for the kind comments! I really appreciate them <3


	12. Chapter 12

Waver was beyond relieved when they finally made it to the place that Rider was calling a safe house. His body was heavy and lagging, the feeling brought on by too many nights of poor sleep and the huge amount of adrenaline that had surged through him earlier in the day. All he wanted to do was fall into a bed and sleep for the next week and a half and then go _home_. More than anything, he wanted to go home. It felt like it had been ages since he had been there and he supposed in a way it _had_ been ages.

He sagged onto a beaten up sofa and closed his eyes for a moment. Even letting his eyes shut for that moment had him on the cusp of sleep and it took Waver some time to drag his heavy lids back up. “Thank you…” He glanced up at Rider and offered as close to a smile as he could manage. He doubted it was more than a slight twitch of the lips.

“Not a problem.” Rider took a seat in a wide armchair that groaned under his weight. His expression was soft, caring even. “You feeling alright?”

That was a loaded question if he’d ever heard one. Waver debated on how he should answer – he didn’t want to come off as a jerk, but he also didn’t want to paint the picture that everything was bunnies and kitties. He fidgeted with the legs of his trousers and chewed on his lower lip. “I guess so. Tired, mainly.”

And he was a little numb. Those two feelings were dominating Waver’s mind and body – everything else felt a bit foggy and far away. Once he’d gotten some sleep he’d probably be able to process everything a bit better, but until then he felt like he was floating through space and everything he was hearing felt like it was slowed down.

“Makes sense.” Rider nodded as he leaned back and continued to watch Waver. “Can’t imagine you slept well there…and today was stressful.”

Both were understatements.

Waver let out a weak chuckle and nodded his agreement. “Yeah…just a bit stressful.”

They fell into a relatively comfortable silence, or Waver was just too out of it to feel the awkwardness. It was hard to say. It was a moment for him to just _rest_ and he appreciated it quite a lot. His eyes fluttered shut and he felt sleep tugging him down more and more – and he was inclined to let sleep win this time. But his almost-nap was interrupted when he heard someone else enter the room and jolted hard enough that he nearly tumbled from his chair.

“Good, you both made it here.” It was the man from earlier – Lancer. He sounded a bit worn, but Waver didn’t think he sounded like he was hurt. “That was a close one, eh?”

Rider laughed at that – a full, loud sound that rang through the room. “Yeah, it was. I was starting to think that I’d have to resort to using my implants, even though we’ve been trying to avoid that.”

Waver blinked at the words and let them process. Rider hadn’t been fighting at full capacity if he was avoiding use of the cybernetics he had. And he had been fighting two people at once, two people that were presumably quite skilled. It took him another moment to realize _why_ someone would be hiding the type of implants they had before it dawned through his mind. Enemies not knowing gave them an advantage. And it seemed that this was a group of people that used all the advantages they could get. He supposed it meant that the situation had been dire if Rider was starting to contemplate using those implants, then.

A bit of guilt boiled through his gut at that thought. Rider had nearly revealed them while trying to keep Waver safe. All because of Waver. All because he was a _burden_.

“ _Best to not think about that, Waver._ ” Libby spoke for the first time since they arrived at the safe house. “ _It is unproductive…and I doubt they feel you’re a burden. It isn’t logical for them to rescue someone they feel is a burden._ ”

Waver fought the urge to scowl at Libby’s words. She was right, of course. There was no reason for a group of people to put so much effort into rescuing someone who was useless. The next logical leap would be that Waver was worth saving. That he was not a burden.

“I’d like you to hold off a bit longer on revealing them.” Lancer sighed as he slumped down onto another chair. “It’ll make things easier for us in the long run.”

“Got it.” Rider shrugged and tilted his head in an almost nonchalant way. “Don’t need them for most people anyway.”

Usually something like that would sound arrogant to Waver, but this time it just sounded confident. And true. He had seen Rider in action and had the distinct feeling that most people wouldn't be able to keep up with him.

“Exactly.” Lancer snickered; though the sound tapered off into a sigh. “Hey kid, good to see you away from goldilocks.”

Waver’s first instinct was to correct Lancer and say that he wasn’t a kid, but he managed to stifle that down. He could see how that argument would go. He’d say it and then would be immediately countered with ‘well, you’re younger than me, so you’re a kid’. Or something to that effect.  No sense in saying it when he knew how it would turn out.

“Good to be away from him.” Waver muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. Honestly, it was good to be away from all of them – even Paracelsus and Medea. While he had enjoyed their company, all he could remember was Paracelsus’ words the other evening. “And…uh…thanks. For getting me away from them.”

It didn’t feel like enough of a thank you. Waver wasn’t sure there were words in the English language that would actually convey how grateful he was to be away from Gate Incorporated. There was part of him that wanted to find a way to thank them properly, but he really wasn’t sure how to accomplish that. He was too tired to think that deeply at the moment.

Lancer’s face softened – an action that almost made his blazing red eyes less intense. Almost. “Well, I wish we’d managed to get to you before they grabbed you.” He shook his head. “Didn’t think they’d move that fast.”

Waver really didn’t think he was anything special, but the way Lancer talked and the way that Gate Incorporated had swooped in and spirited him away said otherwise. It was something he was still coming to terms with and he wasn’t really sure he _liked_ that people were singling him out like that.

“Yeah…” He gave a helpless shrug and shook his head. “Thanks…but um…” Waver paused and fidgeted as he tried to get the words out of his mouth. “But when do I get to go home?”

Silence spread through the room and it instantly had Waver on edge. Unlike before, this wasn’t companionable or comfortable. It was suffocating; it almost felt like there was someone sitting on his chest. It was one of those moments where he immediately felt like he had something wrong. He hated those moments, they made him want to crawl under a rock and hide for the next year or so. But Waver stayed on the beaten up sofa and sat on his hands. He looked between Rider and Lancer – both of them seemed to be debating on what to say and both looked downright evasive. That was enough to let him know that he wasn’t going to like the answer they had for him.

“So…the thing is kid…” Lancer was frowning, yet somehow still managed to look sympathetic. “You’re not gonna be able to go back.”

The words rang through his mind like a gunshot – sudden and shocking. Waver sat with his jaw hanging open as the words continued to repeat in his mind. He wasn’t going to be able to go back home. No, that couldn’t be right. He had to be able to go home, he just _had_ to be able to. Waver sucked in a deep breath and tried to get his mind going forward, but it froze and refused to thaw.

“ _Waver…it makes sense…_ ”

But Waver shut her words away for once – he didn’t want to hear about how Lancer was right about him being unable to go home. It was just his luck, he gets rescued and then finds out that he isn’t going to be able to go back to his life. He took in another large, heaving breath before he managed to find his voice again. “What do you mean?” His words were strained to the point that it almost physically hurt to speak.

“Gate’s gonna be after you. You go back to your apartment and they’re just gonna be waiting for you.” While it was the obvious answer, Lancer had delivered the words gently, almost carefully. “Don’t think they’re going to be as nice this time, though.”

It was a painfully obvious answer – one that had crossed through Waver’s mind, even if he didn’t want to admit that it had. Gate wasn’t going to be pleased that he’d gotten away and it was likely that they were going to camp at his apartment and wait for him to return to his life. It would be revoltingly easy to catch him again and Waver was well aware of it. And he knew that Lancer was right – there was no way that they were going to be as ‘nice’ as they were the first time they kidnapped him. Gilgamesh was bound to be angry that the special researcher he’d brought in for the implant project had gotten away. He was going to be looking for him.

Waver knew all of that, but that didn’t mean he was happy to hear someone else spell out that he wasn’t able to go home.

“I’m sorry, Waver…” Rider genuinely sounded sorry. “But there’s no way that they’re going to just let you go.” The sentence felt unfinished and the unspoken words echoed within Waver’s mind: _and you know we’re right_.

“So what am I supposed to do then?” His voice was snappier than he imagined it would be, but at the same time it was fragile. It was thin and felt like it could shatter if too much pressure was applied to it. “If I can’t go home…”

What was there for him? What was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like Waver had finished school, which meant there were no job opportunities for him. And he would always have to be looking over his shoulder if Gate was after him. He wouldn’t be able to realistically hold down a job because of that simple fact. Gate would be able to find him far more easily. A desperate, hopeless feeling was filling his chest – like he’d been dropped into freezing cold water. Waver shivered and held onto his upper arms to try and keep from visibly shaking.

“Well…” Lancer leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on the worn coffee table in front of him. “You could join up with us.”

Waver chewed on his lower lip as he considered the words. Join up with them. He didn’t really understand what that entailed, nor did he really understand what these people did or _who they were_. All he knew is that they had helped him out of a truly dreadful situation and for that he was thankful. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to go and join up with some group of people.

“I don’t know who _you_ are.” Waver crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look more confident than he felt. He was pretty sure the effect was failing. “Or what you do…or…”

Well, he really didn’t know anything about them and he didn’t like that whatsoever.

“Well, you know our names.” Lancer grinned, though it looked more feral than it did comforting. “The name of our group is Oceanus. We work against mega-corps like Gate Incorporated.”

Waver scanned his memory for information about Oceanus, but he couldn’t find anything. Either they were good at flying under the media radar or they were relatively new on the scene. He supposed either was likely. Though if they had the firepower to get someone free from Gate Incorporated…he supposed it was more likely the former rather than the latter.

“S…so a vigilante group…?” Waver’s voice was still strained and he knew he was trembling visibly now.

Rider scratched at his bearded chin and hummed thoughtfully. “I guess that’s a way to classify us. A mercenary guild would be a better phrasing since we do more than work against mega-corps.”

Somehow that didn’t make Waver feel any better about the situation. He guessed that going up against mega-corps wasn’t exactly the best business for making money and everyone had to live…

It was all too much for Waver to take in, though. He was rapidly approaching a panic attack and he refused to have one in front of people. He’d rather fall to pieces in the privacy of a locked room. He rubbed at his face and groaned slightly – on top of it, he felt a migraine coming on.

“I know this is a lot to take in.” Rider’s voice was gentler than Lancer’s, more understanding. “We’re not expecting a decision. And know that no matter what you choose…we’re going to keep you safe.”

That brought a modicum of comfort. Waver’s shoulders relaxed slightly and he exhaled slow and rough. It didn’t change that he was beyond overwhelmed, though.

“For now…why don’t we just show you to a bed?” Lancer suggested carefully. It seemed he was realizing what was happening.

Waver nodded immediately. It was the first thing that he could agree with right away. Bed. He needed to be alone and sleep. Or just be alone so he could _think_ and _process_ everything that was happening.

He was led off to a bedroom, shambling more than walking. Waver was hardly cognizant enough to know the path back to where they’d been. He bid both Rider and Lancer thank you again and said good night, even though he knew it was barely early evening.

He’d thought that once the door was closed he’d fall apart and crumble. But all that happened was the exhaustion hitting him like a truck. Waver took a few more shuffling steps before collapsing onto the bed. He didn’t undress; he didn’t get under the covers. He just fell into bed and was asleep within moments.


	13. Chapter 13

Waver had been given about a day to himself to process everything. No one had come and bothered him; he just found trays of food with beverages outside his room every few hours. He had appreciated the quiet, yet at the same time he had hated it. He’d been left alone with his thoughts, which had just led to him _really_ wanting to go home. Libby had talked him through several panicky, upset moments. He was glad of it.

He was finally starting to feel more like himself again.

He almost felt brave enough to venture out of the room he’d been set up in. There was still lingering apprehension about everything. The idea that a group had come and rescued him and used so many resources to get him…somehow Waver didn’t think that everyone was going to be happy to see him. Maybe that was lingering anxiety from everything that had happened at Gate, especially with what Paracelsus had said to him.

While Waver knew that Paracelsus had only said that to keep from getting in trouble with Gilgamesh, it still didn’t sit well with him. He’d thought that he’d managed to bond with the other scientists, at least a little. He didn’t really like that he’d been wrong in that respect.

His thoughts were interrupted when his stomach rumbled and he realized how dry his throat was. Waver opened the door slowly and found that there was no tray this time. He frowned and looked down the hallway in both directions. Nothing.

“ _Perhaps this is their way of letting you know that they’d like you to join them for a meal, Waver._ ”

He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. Of course Libby was probably right. He just didn’t want to admit that. “Yeah yeah.”

Waver felt what he assumed was the AI equivalent of laughter in his mind and was relieved that Libby understood he was just being stubborn. He sighed and took a step out into the hallway. He guessed it was time to be brave. Or at least pretend to be brave. He could do that. Or at least he hoped he could.

He made his way through the hallways with minimal assistance from Libby. So far, everything was pretty well deserted. Waver assumed that the people of Oceanus were busy with various jobs. No time to linger around when there was work to be done. Maybe that would make getting a meal easier – less of a chance of him running into people he didn’t know.

Eventually he came upon the kitchen. Unlike every other area he’d moved through that day, there were people in there. Thankfully, they were people that Waver had already met – Rider and Lancer. His shoulders sagged with relief for a split second, but he pulled them back and walked in with his head held high a moment later.

“Ah! It’s good to see you out and about, boy!” Rider had a tiny mug of coffee in one of his large, meaty hands.

Waver wasn’t sure Rider should ever really be allowed coffee. It seemed like a good way to make the boisterous man loud to the point of pain. But he wouldn’t be voicing that. “Yeah…good to see you as well.” He knew his voice didn’t sound particularly convincing, but he tried to smile as well.

“Figured we’d give you some time to yourself.” Lancer sipped from his mug as he leaned back against the counter. “Processing is important.”

Honestly, Waver wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever be done processing everything. But he’d managed to accept things to some point, so he’d take that as a victory. “It is. Thanks for uh…giving me that time.”

“Not a problem.” Lancer sighed as he moved to go and rummage through the refrigerator. “Hungry, kid?”

Waver’s stomach rumbled in response and he felt heat creep up his cheeks. “Yeah…I think the last time I ate was whenever a tray was last outside my room.”

Lancer snickered at that and shot Rider a look that Waver couldn’t read. “Well, sounds like it’s been awhile then.” Leftovers were gathered from the fridge and Lancer started carefully preparing. “I’ve got some info to share with you, probably best that we eat while we go over it.”

Maybe it was his tendency to overthink everything, but Waver’s mind immediately went toward the negative when Lancer spoke. His mind supplied that they were eating now because afterwards Waver wouldn’t _want_ to eat. He shoved the thoughts away – it would do no good to jump to conclusions. For all he knew, Lancer was going to share information that would lead to Waver being allowed to go home.

Apparently his thoughts were either far too negative or naively hopeful and there was no in between.

“ _There is nothing wrong with hope, Waver._ ”

While Libby was technically right, sometimes it felt like it was wrong to be hopeful. At least to Waver. Sometimes hope just built everything up and made bad things feel even worse.

“Come, let us sit down while Lancer gets everything ready.” Rider put his other enormous hand between Waver’s shoulder blades and urged him forward. A moment later, Waver found himself sitting in a chair next to Rider.

He folded his hands in his lap and watched as Lancer shuffled around the kitchen and started putting things together. Waver wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to say, or if he had to say anything at all. So he just stayed silent and kept wringing his folded hands.

Soon enough, there was a delectable scent wafting through the kitchen and Waver felt his stomach grumble again. It smelled better than most of what he’d had when he was at Gate and that was saying something. Though maybe it was because he was _away_ from Gate that the food smelled better. Even if he was nervous while at Oceanus, he at least knew he was safe here.

“Waver, Lancer asked you a question.” Rider hummed as he toyed with the mug in his hand.

“Huh?” Waver looked between the other two men and felt heat creep up his cheeks. He hadn’t been paying attention at all. He hadn’t even realized that Lancer had spoken in the first place.

“Just wonderin’ if you need anything to drink.” Lancer was plating up the food already which had Waver curious as to how long he had managed to space out.

“Oh, sure. Um…whatever you have.” Waver stared down at the table and cleared his throat. He needed to stay in the here and now, not in his head.

A few moments later, a plate and a glass of water were placed in front of him. Lancer joined them at the table and started in on his food with gusto. Waver hesitated only for a moment before taking a bite of what looked like rice, chicken, cheese, and a few other things. His eyes closed and he bit back a groan of happiness. It was _delicious_.

Their meal continued in silence until Lancer finished off his and shoved his plate to the side. Waver chanced a look at him between bites of food and saw that his expression had clouded over and was almost unreadable. Rider, on the other hand, just looked worried. Again, those facts didn’t really help Waver’s nerves.

“Might as well get started.” Lancer sighed as he tugged out a data-pad and set it on the table between the three of them. “I had hoped I wouldn’t have to wind up showing this kind of thing to you…but I guess Gate is pretty damn desperate for what you’ve made.”

Yeah, this really didn’t help the whole ‘stay calm’ thing that Waver was trying to do. He watched as Lancer tapped a few things on the data-pad and pulled up a series of pictures. It took Waver a moment to realize where the photos had been taken – the area didn’t look the way it had the last time he had seen it. No, not at all. The first photo showed a store with items that were in various states of wholeness littering the floor. There was a shelf tipped over onto the register and broken glass was everywhere.

“I’m sorry, boy.” Rider’s voice was gentle and almost soothing. But it did nothing to help Waver’s state of mind.

Waver felt his throat tighten and his eyes start burning – he’d never seen his shop look that bad. Ever. He had prided himself on keeping everything together and professional even when he was swamped with classes and homework. Seeing his hard work smashed all over the ground hurt more than he had thought it would, almost like someone was stabbing him between the ribs.

Lancer and Rider were silent. There was nothing to say, the photos spoke for themselves. The image of the wrecked shop was replaced with one of Waver's apartment. The carnage was just as bad, if not worse. Furniture was tipped over, books were strewn across the ground, and his small workstation had been torn apart. Waver could make out shards of glass in the carpet and his mind supplied that it was going to take forever to clean that up – until he remembered that he couldn’t go home. And now it was plainly obvious as to _why_. Gate had absolutely no qualms taking him again. Waver knew they weren’t going to be as nice as they were the first time.

But what really caught his attention was what was missing from his workstation. The prototypes for the implant were gone. Waver knew that he’d left them out on his desk the night he’d been kidnapped. And he knew that Medea and Paracelsus would easily be able to direct a search party in the right direction. If not them, then Professor Archibald would have been able to do so.

“They’re going to keep looking for you, Waver.” Lancer’s voice was filled with apology and a little bit of pity. “The prototypes are gone, so they’re continuing production without you…but they’ll try and find you so they can fine tune everything.”

The unspoken part of that sentence was that Gate was going to continue to hunt Waver because he’d dared to escape. It was partially because of revenge. He’d held up their production for as long as he could, to the point that other scientists had threatened him. And then he’d gotten away. Waver doubted that was sitting well with Gilgamesh.

“I’m sorry that I had to show this to you.” Lancer sighed. “But I thought you should see what they’re willing to do.”

Waver understood, he really did. He hadn’t really gotten it before – what Gate was willing to do in order to get what they want. Sure, he knew they were willing to stoop to kidnapping and ignore the fact that implants like what Waver had designed weren’t meant for mass production. But somehow he’d still been naïve about what all they might do if he escaped. He had been aware of it, but he hadn’t actually comprehended it.

“I…understand. I just need a little time…” Waver was to his feet an instant later as his stomach churned unhappily. He hadn’t finished his meal, but now he felt a bit too nauseous to try and finish. “I…”

He didn’t wait for a response from Lancer or Rider, he just walked away. Waver broke into a jog once he was out of the kitchen and into a sprint a few moments later. It felt like something was sitting on his chest, he couldn’t get a full lung of air. Everything felt too tight for his lungs to expand.

He opened a door and burst out onto a balcony or porch of some sort. Fresh air flooded his lungs and his face felt _cold._ Waver stumbled to the railing and rested his hands there as he gasped for breath. His shoulders bucked and he hiccupped back tears he didn’t realize were streaming down his face.

Everything was changing so fast and he didn’t know if he could keep up anymore.

Waver jolted when he felt a heavy hand rest against his shoulder. “…keep breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” Rider’s voice issued from behind him and was far softer than Waver had heard from the other man. “There you go, just like that.”

Waver let Rider guide him through breathing. Each breath felt like it was grating in his throat, but it slowly became easier to fill his lungs. Rider guided him into a more upright position and arranged his arms so they were over his head – and again – it became easier and easier to really breathe.

“Hunching over constricts everything…standing up straight makes it easier to breathe.”

He nodded and kept focusing on his breathing in the way that Rider had instructed. “Th…thanks.”

“Not a problem.” Rider was leaning against the railing with his arms crossed over his chest. “Sorry you had to hear and see all that.”

Waver’s shoulders drooped slightly but he sighed. “…I needed to. I just…” He shook his head and shoved away the panic and fear that had bubbled up at the mere thought of what he was supposed to do with his life now. “Just overwhelmed.”

“Can’t blame you.” Rider sighed and shrugged his shoulders slightly. “But I can assure you that you’re safe here. And that we’re working toward a world where Gate can no longer to _this_ to people.”

Those words had Waver pausing to think things through a bit more thoroughly. The implication was that Waver was not Gate’s first victim. That made his stomach twist again and Waver found himself hugging his torso in an effort to hide how much he was shaking. He didn’t want to know how many people Gate had done this to, how many lives they’d interrupted and irreparably changed. Waver had a feeling that the number was far higher than he wanted to know.

“This just isn’t how I pictured everything going.” Waver hugged tighter and let his head hang. “And now I don’t know what to even consider picturing…”

Because if he couldn’t go home, all the plans that he’d carefully put into place for the future had been shattered. Waver would have to find new goals and hopes.

“Take it one day at a time.” Rider gave him a bittersweet smile, one that seemed more on the knowing side rather than just empathetic. “It’s all we can really do.”

One day at a time was a sensible response and technically it was what Waver needed to hear. But it wasn’t what he _wanted_ to hear. He wanted to hear that everything was going to magically be okay again.

“Guess that’s true…” Waver leaned against the railing and sighed heavily. His whole body felt like it was weighed down and dragging toward the center of the earth. “Thanks for this…I really appreciate it.”

Rider’s smile shifted away from wistful and toward something more cheerful. Waver thought that the wide, bright grin suited the man’s face far more than the previous one. Maybe it was just hard to comprehend someone so boisterous being upset like that.

“I mean it, not a problem. Let’s get inside before Lancer eats all the desserts.”

Waver’s stomach was still protesting the idea of food, but his mind was drawn away from nausea and his unpleasant thoughts when Rider reached out and took one of Waver’s hands. The man’s hand was large and fully wrapped around Waver’s smaller one. He seemed to radiate warmth, or maybe that was just because Waver could feel his cheeks heating up from the contact. He let Rider lead him back into the building. _At least I’m alive…at least I’m away…at least…at least…at least…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the delay on this chapter! I had a convention at the beginning of March and preparation for that took up a lot of time. but I got to meet David Vincent (Gilgamesh's voice actor!)
> 
> thank you for all the patience and the continued support <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay (again). Between releasing a book last month and conventions, I've been exhausted!
> 
> Bonus, at this last convention I got Archer's VA's signature (Kaiji Tang)

The day dawned early – with sun shining through the window straight into Waver’s eyes. It wasn’t the best way to wake up. That was amplified by the whole _strange place_ and the sinking realization that what he had hoped were nightmares was actually his reality. He wasn’t able to go home. He was going to have to come to terms with that sooner or later, but it was going to take him some time. He supposed it was as good a time as any for him to get up and moving, even though it seemed way too early.

“ _It is currently 7am, Waver. It is only a little earlier than you’d usually be awake._ ”

“Well, it feels earlier than that.” Waver grumbled as he nearly fell out of the bed. “The sun is too bright.”

He went through his morning routine, or what he supposed would become his morning routine once he was with Oceanus a bit longer. It didn’t take him long to get through all of it and then he was left with the decision to leave the room. It was such a simple decision, yet the idea of leaving the room seemed almost _foreign_. Waver tried to wrap his mind around the action, yet couldn’t seem to do so.

But his thoughts were interrupted by a knock that sounded far more like thunder than a fist meeting wood. He jolted and reached to open the door and was greeted by the sight of a broad chest covered in a t-shirt.

Waver’s mind supplied the name Rider. Because there wasn’t anyone else (that he knew of) that could fill the entire door with their frame. At least it was someone he knew, at least a little. His eyes drifted up from the t-shirt covered chest to the person’s face and confirmed that, yes, this was Rider. The man was grinning widely – Waver wasn’t entirely sure how he could smile so much when it was so _early_.

“ _There is the off chance that he is a morning person, Waver._ ”

He ignored Libby for the moment and returned the smile, or at least attempted to do so. “…morning.”

“Good morning, Waver.” Rider’s voice was genial, but far softer than Waver had heard thus far. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to give you a tour of the building.”

Waver blinked as he realized that he had not yet been given a tour of the facilities. That would certainly help him get around. He also appreciated that one of the two people he was semi-familiar with happened to be the one giving the tour – though he doubted that was a coincidence.

“I’d like that, thanks.” Waver smiled and this time it was more sincere. It would give him a much needed distraction as well.

“Then, if you don’t mind, we’re going to a meeting with some of the others in Oceanus.” Rider motioned for him to start following him out into the hallway. Waver tensed slightly at the mention of a meeting – the last meetings he’d had were not exactly pleasant. The mere mention of ‘meeting’ had anxiety surging up. “Nothing too big, we have weekly meetings.”

“What kind of meeting?” Waver recognized that they were heading toward the kitchen – it was much appreciated. Even if his appetite was down, Waver knew that he needed to keep eating.

“Our weekly meetings go over our various mission assignments, what all is happening in the area, they let us introduce new people…” Rider gestured broadly with one of his hands and nearly knocked into Waver – Waver only managed to avoid it by ducking down quickly. “Sometimes we go over future goals and plans. Pretty basic stuff.”

Waver could agree that the meetings seemed to be pretty basic sounding, but it was a relative sort of basic. He had to wonder what Rider had been through that ‘missions’ were status quo for him. He also wondered if it was impolite to ask about that sort of thing or if it was better left unasked.

They had a short, simple breakfast in the kitchen. Eggs, hash browns, bacon, and some apple juice. Waver wanted something with caffeine, but he could make do without for now. Conversation stayed light and easy during the meal, much like when they’d been out for dinner that one night. _That night feels like a million years ago…and like it wasn’t me there…_

And in a way, that was true. Waver had gone through a lot in a very short amount of time. He doubted he was exactly the same as he had been that night, the things that happened to a person shaped them into who they were in the present. But he was pleasantly surprised that the conversation still flowed easily between him and Rider. It almost made Waver forget everything that had been going on. Almost.

Once breakfast was finished, they were both up and moving through the Oceanus facility. Waver was impressed with how they’d used the limited space they had. While Gate’s building had been sprawling, Oceanus was contained and compact. He was honestly surprised that there had been enough space to give him a room on his own – then there was the unpleasant thought that he was stealing space from someone who deserved it more than he did…

He didn’t want to do that.

“Here are the labs…” Rider motioned to a far-too-small room tucked off into the back of the building. “They aren’t much, but they’re ours.”

Waver noted the hint of pride in Rider’s voice. _Oceanus must have been building up for a while then…_ “They look very nice.” He didn’t have the heart to say the space was too small when Rider sounded so _proud_. He moved in a little closer and peered through a small window. There was no one in there at this point…in fact…the room almost seemed like it was unused. While space was small, the equipment was rather nice.

If it was unused, then it was a shame.

“We currently don’t have a developer.” Rider sighed heavily and his shoulders drooped down. Waver didn’t think the gesture suited him at all, but Rider’s tone told Waver that the circumstances surrounding their lack of developer were unpleasant.

“…I’m sorry to hear that…” Waver kept eyeing the equipment. It felt like ages since he’d been able to just tinker with cybernetics _on his own_. When he was captive with Gate, he’d only been able to work on that one implant. At that, most of his time was spent hindering progress. But now wasn’t the time, they had more tour to get through and a meeting to go to. “How long have you been with Oceanus?”

He knew the change in topic was jarring, but it felt like the only way to keep himself from diving into the lab and playing with cybernetics.

Rider seemed a bit confused by the topic change, but his face softened into a smile. “Since the beginning. Lancer and I founded it together.”

Somehow that was surprising. Waver didn’t think he was important enough to have one of the founders escorting him around. But the fact that Rider had been one of the founding members didn’t really surprise Waver in the least. There was something about him that just seemed to suit that role. _Maybe it’s because he’s so big_.

Yet, at the same time, finding out that Rider was one of the founders brought up more questions than it did answers. Waver wasn’t exactly sure how someone came to the conclusion that they were starting what was basically a well-intentioned mercenary group. It wasn’t like a person woke up one day and randomly decided that a mercenary group was going to be their life. It felt like one of those things you fall into. _Kind of like what’s happening to me…_

“Impressive.” It was the only thing that Waver could think of to say. It didn’t feel like enough, or even the right word.

Rider chuckled and shrugged. “It’s certainly grown since then. Each person who joins is our family…we stand together.” Before Waver could respond to that, Rider was checking his phone and grimacing. “We might be a little late to the meeting. Don’t worry.”

 _Being told not to worry instantly makes me worry more._ Waver shook the thought off as they moved along the hallways. He had to wonder if they made it through the entire tour or if Rider had halted it in favor of getting them to the meeting on time. He supposed he'd find out later.

The walk to the meeting didn’t take all that long, after all the, Oceanus’ facility wasn’t all that big. Rider was the one who opened the door, which Waver was grateful for if only because he was able to hide behind Rider’s bulk while they entered the room. There were fewer people in the room than he had anticipated. While the facility wasn’t large, the organization had the feeling of something larger. Lancer was at the head of the table and merely rolled his eyes when the two of them entered the room and took seats. Thankfully, he didn’t make a big deal of them entering late. There was a young woman with long, dark hair sitting at the table as well – she didn’t look like she could be much older than Waver, and that’s if she was even his age to start with. She was seated next to a taller man with tanned skin and silvery white hair – Waver wondered if he was going prematurely grey from stress. A few seats down was another young woman, this one had pale purple hair.

If the three of their youthful appearances weren’t enough to catch Waver’s attention, their cybernetics did. Both girls had a significant amount of implants and Waver had to wonder _why_ they had them. The man had fewer, but from what Waver could make out, they were pretty serious implants.

“ _Waver, you should probably pay attention to the meeting. Just in case someone calls on you._ ”

He wanted to tell Libby that this wasn’t like a class, but she was right. He needed to be paying attention. That…and her bringing up the possibility of being called on spiked Waver’s anxiety just enough that he was going to be hanging on every word that Lancer said.

“Alright, first bit of business. Gate’s been pretty tight-lipped about the implant they’ve been developing.” Lancer poked at the tablet in front of him before making eye contact with everyone. “Either they’re struggling to keep the project going after losing the lead developer on it…” Waver noted a hint of smugness edging into Lancer’s voice. “Or they’re moving forward and doing so quietly so we aren’t able to stop them.”

The girl with darker hair snorted and shook her head. “It’s not like they’ll be able to hide information from us that long. I can go and – ”

“I already have Iri on it.” Lancer held his hand up. “She’ll be giving me updates within the next 72 hours.” He sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. “Alright. Mission assignments. Rin, you’re working with Archer on a quick infiltration mission to gain information on the Clocktower. Take it easy, alright? You’re implants have been on touchy lately.”

Waver’s eyes darted over to the girl (Rin) and the man (Archer). Archer’s expression had shifted minutely – to something akin to exasperation. Rin, on the other hand, was rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ll be fine, Lancer.” Her head was turned away and she almost seemed to be pouting.

“I’ll make sure Rin doesn’t overdo it.” Archer’s tone was almost deadpan, but Waver thought he could hear fondness there.

“Good. Sakura – you’re going to be working with Saber once she gets back from her mission. Information gathering. Make sure Saber doesn’t charge into any fights, alright?” Lancer rubbed at his face and sighed.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, immediately closed it, and then looked down at her lap. “Okay, I’ll try to.” Her voice was softer and almost sounded fragile.

Lancer went on to explain the missions a bit more in detail – they were gaining information on more corrupt corporations, or ones that seemed like they were being shady. It seemed like Oceanus had good intentions, even if their methods were less than legal.

“Anything else? I have a mission to prepare for.” Rin huffed.

“Yeah, we’ve got a bit more.” Lancer stood up and nodded in Waver’s direction. “The new guy is Waver. Remember that developer that Gate lost? This is him. Rider and I recovered him a couple days ago.”

Waver felt his cheeks getting hot when he felt so many eyes on him. But unlike when he was in his classes, they weren’t looking down on him or making fun of him, no, they seemed excited to have him at Oceanus. He gave a shaky smile and held tight to his biceps.

“We’ve been missing a cybernetic implant technician for some time now…” Lancer had a grin spreading across his face. “I figure Waver can fill that gap, at least for the pre-implantation process. We have a guy who does the actual implantations.”

Waver was grateful for that. While he could manage implantation on his own, he wasn’t confident on it and wouldn’t trust himself. It was best to leave that to a professional.

A moment later what Lancer had said sank in.

They wanted him to be part of Oceanus.

Waver opened his mouth to say something, but the only sound that came out was a strangled squeak. _Why do they want me? I’m not any good!_ He felt his cheeks getting hotter and hotter and he felt the need to hide behind his hands. These people were all established and had a lot of cybernetics and Waver really wasn’t the one for this.

“ _You are aware that you’re perfectly capable of doing repairs on **all** of the cybernetics in this room?_ ” Libby almost sounded exasperated with him – or as exasperated as an AI unit could sound.

Waver wanted to tell her to shut her mouth, but Libby didn’t have a mouth and he’d have to physically speak to do so and then he’d just look _weird_. It was then he realized that he was turning bright red and hiding behind his hands in front of a room full of people. Realizing that didn’t exactly help the blushing situation.

“I think you surprised him, Lancer.” Rider was chuckling as he gazed down at Waver. But he wasn’t teasing him, or at least Waver didn’t think so.

Waver exhaled slowly and let his hands drop from his face. “I…are you _sure_?” There was a collective agreement from both Lancer and Rider – the rest of the room was silent on the matter. “I…guess…? I can do that.”

There was part of him that was utterly terrified to be agreeing to something like that. He didn’t know if he was really qualified for this, even if the founders and his AI believed in him. Waver wasn’t really sure what he was getting into, but…there was part of him that liked the feeling of people believing in him. It made him feel just a little more confident in himself.


End file.
